Right after Indian Premier League (IPL) glory, ravishing Ruturaj Gaikwad has continued his red-hot form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. Gaikwad has racked up three centuries on the trot. The opener's run-spree has grabbed legendary cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar’s attention who wants Gaikwad's inclusion in the upcoming South Africa ODI series.
“You must pick a man in form. How many more runs does he need to score to prove himself? It is high time the selectors pick him straight away and give him a proper opportunity,” Dilip Vengsarkar told the 'Times of India’.
The Maharashtra captain pummeled a blistering 124-run off 129 balls against Kerala and has notched a mammoth 414 runs in mere three matches so far. He just needs one more ton to join Virat Kohli in the elite list.
Vengsarkar also suggested that No.3 spot should be an apt place for Ruturaj in order to bolster the batting order.
“He (Gaikwad) can bat at No.3 also. He must be accommodated in the team," Vengsarkar said.
Moreover, as per the former-National selector, Ruturaj's selection shouldn't be delayed given as he'll be turning 25 on January 31 .
"It’s not like Ruturaj is 18 or 19. He’s 24 now. There’s no point in picking him when he’ll be 28,” concluded Vengsarkar.
Ruturaj also won the Orange Cap in the 2021 edition of the IPL for amassing 635 runs, which came at a magnificent average of 45.36. The 24-year old played an instrumental role in the MS Dhoni-led outfit winning their fourth league title earlier this year.
India's tour of South Africa is scheduled to begin from December 26. The tour will start with a three-match Test series ending by January 15. The Test-series will be followed by a three-match ODI series, starting from January 19.
Earlier, the former India selector Saba Karim also raised questions over Shikhar Dhawan's place in the side for the South Africa ODI series.
“Even if Dhawan is there in the squad, will he be part of the playing XI? K. L. Rahul and Rohit Sharma have opened in Tests and T20s, so I think they will open in ODIs as well. So, if you are including Dhawan in the squad and not playing him, should he be in the team? same event," Saba said.
“It would be difficult for Shikhar Dhawan to come back into this side. I still think that he should be given one more opportunity because he is a big player with experience. Have to see what the selectors and the team management think. I don’t think Delhi will qualify for the knockouts, so Dhawan has to prove by scoring runs and he only has one more match to do so," he further added.
