Ruturaj Gaikwad has been on the rise and has consistently improved his game. The batter had a string of good outings in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy and has been rewarded for it by being made the captain for Rest of India (ROI) for the Irani Cup tie against Mumbai. Like most cricketers in India, Gaikwad too aims to break into India’s Test squad. However, it will remain a distant dream. At least for the time being.
Test debut not so soon for Ruturaj Gaikwad
With 2273 runs from 32 first-class games, Ruturaj Gaikwad is arguably one of the best rising stars in India. Yet, he faces a tough challenge in making his much-awaited Test debut. To make matters worse, three half-centuries in the Duleep Trophy 2024 coupled with some brilliant captaincy comes at an absolute wrong time. The waiting line for young players to make it to India’s Test squad is too long and sadly, Gaikwad is also a part of that very queue.
India’s upcoming Test season has nine matches and a potential World Test Championship (WTC) final. At this point of time, the team seems to have found the right combination, comprising of a good mix of veterans and youngsters in the side that leaves literally no room for experimentation in the form of giving chances to deserving players like Gaikwad, Easwaran and others unless and until injuries force changes.
Only injuries can pave way for Gaikwad
The last time India handed multiple debuts to youngsters was during the IND vs ENG series earlier this year when several key stars were injured. Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal – all youngsters who had toiled hard in the domestic circuit for years – reaped delayed rewards with their maiden Test caps in the series. But with the return of stalwarts KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli, these stars are now warming the bench or have been completely left out of India’s Test squad.
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No space for Ruturaj in Test team
Speaking about Gaikwad specifically, the role that the young batter is targeting in the Indian Test team is already occupied by stalwart Rohit Sharma and pocket rocket Yashasvi Jaiswal. Both these batters have solidified their position at the top of the order, leaving no room for anyone else to take over the role as the openers. The number three and four options is also a no-go, given that Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli are quite simply irreplaceable.
If we were to talk about when Gaikwad would probably get a breakthrough into the Test team, it would probably take more than a year perhaps. Until then, the domestic circuit is the only place for the young batter to improve himself and prove his mettle.
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