Overview:
He said that Ruturaj will have to give consistent performances in domestic cricket to return to the national side.
Kris Srikkanth said that Ruturaj Gaikwad will have to keep wickets like MS Dhoni to get selected in the Indian team. Ruturaj was not considered for the ODI series against New Zealand despite scoring a century against South Africa in his previous knock in the fifty-over format.
When Shreyas Iyer was declared fit, the Maharashtra captain was dropped, with Rishabh Pant getting another chance despite not competing in a single game against the Proteas.
Srikkanth said that Ruturaj should have retained his spot in the squad. “Ruturaj Gaikwad can say that he has played with Dhoni, so he can also keep wickets. That’s the only way he can get selected in the team. Shreyas Iyer has to be there, but Ruturaj Gaikwad also deserve a place in the 15. Instead of Nitish Kumar Reddy, they should have kept Gaikwad in the team,” Srikkanth said.
Former selector said that Ruturaj’s exclusion shows that there is no chance you get into the team even after scoring a hundred in the last game. He said that Ruturaj will have to give consistent performances in domestic cricket to return to the national side.
“Yashasvi Jaiswal is in the team, and even if he doesn’t play, he will be in the 15. However, the situation is different for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been removed from the scheme of things. When you are removed from the system, people and selectors will forget about you,” he added.
“The performance in international cricket becomes a waste when such decisions are taken. He scored a hundred, but that’s a waste as he is not in the team,” he concluded.
India and New Zealand will compete in the fifty-over format from January 11.