Ruturaj Gaikwad has been a prolific run-scorer in the IPL but has failed to break into India’s T20 team for a consistent run. Could a drop in CSK’s order improve their case?
Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s last appearance for India came in July last year on the tour of Zimbabwe. Since then, he has not been picked by any white-ball team and his chances of starting for India are dwindling.
The 27-year-old batsman has been a run machine for CSK in the last few years. He has amassed 2380 runs in 65 innings at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 136.86. Gaikwad has registered two centuries and 18 half-centuries for CSK in the IPL.
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Rich Indian talent pool a hurdle for Ruturaj Gaikwad
India currently has a remarkable talent pool, especially in white-ball cricket. Much of the credit goes to the Indian Premier League as players have been able to rub shoulders with top international stars from a young age.
The Men in Blue ended their international trophy drought last year when they defeated South Africa in the T20 World Cup final. After the win, India’s two batting stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, retired from the T20I format.
Without those two, the first starting spot went to Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson vying for the other spot.
Gaikwad has excellent numbers for India in the shortest format, scoring 633 runs at an average of 39.56 and an average of 143.53. But with India having a new designated pair at the top, Gaikwad’s chances look bleak.
Bad run at the top of domestic cricket
To compound his problems, Gaikwad’s form in domestic cricket has not been very good of late. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he made 123 runs in five innings, 97 of which came in one innings.
The Maharashtra batsman also had a similar outing in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy. He made an impressive 148 not out for 74 against Services in the second game, but made just 46 runs in the other six innings. With such numbers, the selectors will not notice.
Should Gaikwad play in CSK’s middle order?
The upcoming IPL 2025 season will be crucial for the CSK captain to once again compete for a place in the Indian team. With at least three opener batsmen ahead of him in the pecking order, it might not be a bad idea for Gaikwad to push his case from the middle order.
Ruturaj previously played in the middle order for India on the tour of Zimbabwe, batting 77 off 47 at number three and 49 off 28 batting at number four. He also played four innings at number three for CSK, making 123 runs off 87 deliveries.
He is one of the best right-handed batsmen in spinning and averages 41 with a strike rate of 138 in overs 7 to 12. CSK have Devon Conway and Rahul Tripathi, who can pair up at the top, freeing up Gaikwad to bat. the middle order.
India currently has Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Rishabh Pant competing for the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the T20 side. Of them, only Suryakumar has an inalienable track record. If Gaikwad can rack up runs in the middle order for CSK in IPL 2025, who knows he might have a better chance of breaking into the Indian side.