Gaikwad’s India A Snub Justified Despite Duleep Trophy Heroics

Maharashtra batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad’s exclusion from the 15-member India A red-ball squad has sparked debate among cricket fans, particularly after his impressive 184-run innings for West Zone in the ongoing Duleep Trophy in Bengaluru. Despite the stellar performance, the BCCI selectors opted to leave him out of the squad for the upcoming two-match series against Australia A.

Former Opener Backs Selection Decision

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has defended the selectors’ decision, arguing that Gaikwad’s recent struggles in international cricket justify his omission. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted the batsman’s disappointing performance during last year’s Australia A tour, where he managed only 20 runs across four innings despite captaining the side.

“Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 184 recently in the Duleep Trophy. However, he didn’t score runs in the India A shadow tour during the BGT time, where he was the captain,” Chopra explained. The former opener emphasized that while Gaikwad’s Duleep Trophy knock was commendable, his track record in recent India A assignments has been underwhelming.

Pattern of Missed Opportunities

Gaikwad’s struggles extend beyond the Australia tour. He was part of the India A squad for the England tour in late May but returned without any game time before being dropped from the current selection. This pattern of inclusion followed by non-performance has seemingly influenced the selectors’ decision to look at other options for the crucial series against Australia A.

The 27-year-old batsman will need consistent performances in domestic cricket to force his way back into the national setup.