India's T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, expressed confidence in Ruturaj Gaikwad's imminent return to the national team. He praised Gaikwad's consistent performances across various formats. Despite Gaikwad's absence from the South Africa T20I series, Suryakumar explained that it's part of the team's selection strategy and hinted at a potential future call-up.
Suryakumar Yadav throws his weight behind Ruturaj Gaikwad
In a pre-match press conference ahead of the T20I series opener between India and South Africa, Suryakumar acknowledged Gaikwad's impressive form both domestically and internationally. He believes that Gaikwad's consistent performances will soon earn him a spot back in the Indian team.
"Ruturaj is a fantastic player. He has been fantastic and consistent across all formats he plays...There are a lot of players who have been performing well even before him, so there is a routine or process that I think that the management has come up with, so it is important to follow that. He has been performing consistently well, so I believe his time will come soon (Ruturaj ka time aaega)," Suryakumar said.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, a key player for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, has been in excellent form in the ongoing domestic season. He has amassed 472 runs at an impressive average of 47.2, including a century and three half-centuries. Even during the Zimbabwe series, Gaikwad was one of India's most consistent performers, with an unbeaten 77 in the second match and 49 in the first. However, despite his strong form, the Indian selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, and the BCCI decided to omit Gaikwad from the T20I and Test squads for the Australia series.
Instead, Gaikwad is currently leading the India A side in a two-match unofficial Test series against Australia A. This opportunity not only allows him to showcase his skills in the longer format but also serves as an evaluation of his potential to represent India in Test matches, particularly on challenging overseas pitches.
Suryakumar Yadav's endorsement of Ruturaj Gaikwad underscores the team management's belief in his abilities. Gaikwad's versatile batting style and recent impressive domestic performances have solidified his claim for a spot in the Indian team. As Suryakumar suggested, Gaikwad's consistent form is likely to earn him a well-deserved call-up, making him a valuable asset to the Indian team across all formats.
India's T20I squad for series against South Africa
Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.
South Africa T20I squad for series against India:
Aiden Markram (c), Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla (3rd and 4th T20Is), and Tristan Stubbs.
IND vs SA T20I series' full schedule
SA v IND, 1st T20I: November 8, 2024, 5:00PM, Durban
SA v IND, 2nd T20I: November 10, 2024, 4:00PM, Gqeberha
SA v IND, 3rd T20I: November 13, 2024, 5:00PM, Centurion
SA v IND, 4th T20I: November 15, 2024, 5:00PM, Johannesburg
