Ruturaj Gaikwad, a star batsman, has been on and off the Indian team for some time, but he hasn’t been able to establish a long-term presence in any format. According to Robin Uthappa, a former cricket player for the Chennai Super Kings and India, Gaikwad eventually loses his form in important games, disappointing the selectors and forcing the Maharashtra batsman to leave the team.
Uthappa went on to say that it is necessary for a player to stand up and score runs at pivotal points in a series or tournament in order to gain the trust of the team management and selectors. The former cricket player who is now a broadcaster added that if Gaikwad hopes to be a consistent member of the Indian team, he must keep this factor in mind.
One thing about Gaikwad has caught my attention. He somewhat loses his shape at the proper moment.
It’s crucial to strike when the iron is hot in Indian cricket. His form was a little off, and his time arrived two or three times. Therefore, it must sit correctly for the form to remain and to get the opportunity at the appropriate time,” Uthappa stated in a video posted to his YouTube page.
It is noteworthy that Ruturaj, who often bats in the middle order, achieved his first ODI century in the just finished series against South Africa. But in the eight games since his debut, he has only scored two double figures. The management has not been able to demonstrate their confidence in Gaikwad for the forthcoming series against New Zealand due to his lack of consistency.
After recovering from his lacerated spleen injury, Shreyas Iyer has also been cleared to return to action for the Men in Blue. He will play in his typical No. 4 position. Ruturaj was consequently disregarded while choosing the 15-man team. It will be intriguing to watch if Ruturaj can perform reliably and retain his place in the Indian squad as they play their next ODI series in July 2026.
India’s ODI team for the series against New Zealand: Shubman Gill (captain), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj






