Ruturaj Gaikwad seems to be on a mission to break open the door of the national ODI team, as he has piled on three back to back hundreds in the ongoing Vijay Hazare trophy, right before the selection of the ODI team for the South Africa tour.
The 24-year-old stylish right-hander from Maharashtra, who is also the captain of Maharashtra, already broke into the first choice T20I team earlier in the season when he was named in the 15-man squad for the T20I series against New Zealand. Although he didn’t play any games, the fact that he got into the first choice squad was enough to suggest he was on the radar of the national selectors.
Ruturaj now might make his way into the ODI squad too with three hundreds in 4 days in the premier 50-over domestic tournament in India. The selectors, while announcing the test squad for the South Africa tour, delayed the ODI squad for a couple of days, as they wanted to have a look at the performances in the Vijay Hazare trophy.
If the performances in Vijay Hazare are anything to go by, Ruturaj Gaikwad can’t be overlooked, particularly now that one of India’s regular openers Shikhar Dhawan is in the twilight of his career and might not be able to make it to the squad for the World Cup in a couple of year’s time.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is competing with Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill for the opening slot
Ruturaj is competing with some other incredible batting talents, Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill, for the opening slot. Not to forget that someone like Mayank Agarwal has also been a consistent domestic performer at the top of the order in the past, and he might be approaching the peak of his career now, but the recent form is in Ruturaj’s favor.
The ODI squad for South Africa tour might be an extended squad of 18 with a couple of reserve players too. It’s very much possible that all the names mentioned above find themselves in the touring party, but the playing opportunity might not be there for Ruturaj again, as the ODI series against South Africa is only a 3-match series.
If Dhawan gets picked, he will most likely open with Rohit in all 3 games, if the series is not decided in the first two games, and the Indian team management will probably not slot Ruturaj elsewhere other than the opening slot.
A lot of the Indian fans on Twitter have, however, demanded Ruturaj’s selection in the ODI team for the South Africa tour. Here is how Twitter reacted after Ruturaj Gaikwad scored his third consecutive Vijay Hazare trophy a hundred today –
Ruturaj Gaikwad brings up his 3rd consecutive century in Vijay Hazare Trophy. He's been in red hot form, terrific batting display by him.
Advertisement— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 11, 2021
Ruturaj Gaikwad completed 400 runs from just 3 matches in Vijay Hazare 2021-22.
Advertisement— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 11, 2021
Unstoppable Ruturaj Gaikwad 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/uPJHWlw3z4
Advertisement— Dhoni Army TN™ (@DhoniArmyTN) December 9, 2021
Ruturaj Gaikwad in this Year 2021:-
Advertisement•In IPL – 16 Innings, 635 Runs, 45.36 Ave, 136.27 Strike Rate, 4 Fifties, 1 Hundred.
•In SMAT – 4 Innings, 256 Runs, 64 Average, 155.15 Strike Rate, 3 Fifties.
•In Vijay Hazare – 3 Innings, 414 Runs, 207 Average, 3 Hundreds. pic.twitter.com/0UIkHcxS3a
Advertisement— CricketMAN2 (@man4_cricket) December 11, 2021
Ruturaj Gaikwad Recent form
154*
136
44
3
81
80
51
32
70
12#KERvMAHAdvertisement— Dream11 STATS🏏 📝📈📉📊 (@Dream11Stats) December 11, 2021
Shikhar Dhawan in this VHT:
• 0(3), 12(11), 14(22)AdvertisementRuturaj Gaikwad in this VHT:
• 136(112), 154*(143), 124(129)— MSDian™ (@Ashwin_tweetz) December 11, 2021
When Shikhar Dhawan goes, we have an opener in @Ruutu1331 ready. There is no way selectors can look beyond him. 🔥
Even though he doesn't start in playing XI, start sending him on tours with team already, @BCCI @AshwinR94 look at him killing it. https://t.co/HbHI9imdX4
— Abhishek (@abhishekr2502) December 11, 2021
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Missed Ruturaj batting today 😭
3rd back to back century
This is unreal !!!— ν (@_vimal7) December 11, 2021
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Would still be okay if Dhawan gets one more intl series to prove.
But if he fails there,Ruturaj should be getting the ODI cap.
Sorry for a legend, but its the Survival of the Fittest.#CutThroatCompetition https://t.co/2zIEhtgFdi— RuturajFan (@RuturajFan) December 11, 2021
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Ruturaj Gaikwad in this Vijay Hazare
Trophy 2021 so far:-
Hundred in First Match.
Hundred in Second Match.
Fifty in Third Match.
He is just Outstanding in this year in
every format, Run Machine in Domestic Cricket.— Krish Sheth (@krishsheth2006) December 11, 2021
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