IND vs SA LIVE: Coach Rahul Dravid disappoints by leaving out Ruturaj Gaikwad – With the series done and dusted, Team India opted to make a host of changes for their dead rubber third ODI at Cape Town. While the likes of Deepak Chahar, Jayant Yadav and Suryakumar Yadav earned themselves a game, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s absence from the lineup raised a few eyebrows amongst fans. Gaikwad has been in the form of his life and has scored heavily over the last 12 months, but coach Rahul Dravid and captain KL Rahul have opted against giving the CSK star a go. Follow Insidesport.in for all IND vs SA 3rd ODI LIVE Updates.
IND vs SA LIVE: Big Thumbs Down to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s CREDENTIALS, Coach Rahul Dravid disappoints by leaving out the youngster once again from Indian XI
IND vs SA 3rd ODI: In a shock move, Team India captain KL Rahul and coach Rahul Dravid have shunned away from giving an opportunity to young Ruturaj Gaikwad, despite the CSK star having the weight of runs under his belt. Gaikwad is hailed as the next big batter to break into the Indian team and is breathing down the necks of veterans for a spot in the XI.
After missing the team for the first 2 ODIs, the 24-year-old was expected to return to the team for the dead rubber on Sunday, but India opted to stick with Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order. Further downing his spirit, India opted to play an extra batter, but Gaikwad did not make the cut, with both Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav pipping him to the XI.
IND vs SA LIVE: Big Thumbs Down to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s CREDENTIALS, Coach Rahul Dravid disappoints by leaving out the youngster once again from Indian XI
IND vs SA 3rd ODI: Incidentally, Ruturaj Gaikwad had been named in the T20I squad for the series against New Zealand, but again failed to get a game, with captain Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul opening for the first two games, before Ishan Kishan was drafted in as opener for the third game.
With the 2023 World Cup just 18 months, it is imperative that Gaikwad, who is likely to be amongst the plethora of openers competing for a place in the side, gets more opportunities. Gaikwad is yet to make his debut in ODIs and has only featured in two T20Is, both of which came against Sri Lanka last year.
Ruturaj Gaikwad finished as the Orange Cap winner of IPL 2021, scoring 635 runs for Chennai Super Kings, helping them win their fourth IPL title. He followed it up with impressive performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, finishing as the leading run-getter in both competitions.
His heroics saw him being retained by CSK ahead of IPL 2022 auction, and Gaikwad would now hope that the Indian team puts the same faith in him as his IPL franchise and gives him an opportunity to showcase his credentials.
IND vs SA LIVE: Big Thumbs Down to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s CREDENTIALS, Coach Rahul Dravid disappoints by leaving out the youngster once again from Indian XI
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