Ruturaj Gaikwad, a star batter, has been in and around the Indian team for a while but has yet to secure a permanent spot, regardless of format. Robin Uthappa, a former Chennai Super Kings and India cricketer, believes Ruturaj loses form in important matches, which disappoints the selectors and forces the Maharashtra batter to leave the squad.
Uthappa went on to say that it is critical for a player to stand up and score runs during vital stages of a series or tournament in order to gain the trust of the selectors and team management.
The cricketer-turned-commentator went on to say that Ruturaj Gaikwad must keep this in mind if he wants to be a long-term member of the Indian side.
“I have noticed one thing with Ruturaj. At the right time, he loses his form a bit. In Indian cricket, it is important to strike when the iron is hot. His time came two to three times and his form got slightly off. So for the form to stay, to get the opportunities at the right time, it has to sit properly,” Uthappa said in a video on his YouTube channel.
It’s worth noting that Ruturaj earned his first ODI century in the just finished series against South Africa, batting in the middle of the order instead of his normal position. However, he has only two double-digit points in the remaining eight games since his debut. Ruturaj’s lack of consistency has made it difficult for management to express confidence in him for the next series against New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has been allowed to play for the Men in Blue after recovering from a minor spleen injury, and will return to his normal No. 4 position. As a result, Ruturaj was overlooked when selecting the 15-man squad. With India’s next ODI series scheduled for July 2026, it will be intriguing to watch if Ruturaj can perform regularly and restore his status in the Indian side.
India ODI squad for New Zealand series
Shubman Gill (captain), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj
India
