About time Ruturaj Gaikwad is fast-tracked to the Indian ODI setup  

Technically as clean as a whistle, and temperamentally taking giant strides to the elite level, Ruturaj Gaikwad has announced himself ready for bigger challenges, and perhaps it is about time the Indian selectors notice what a wonderful prospect he is for the future, with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan potentially entering the fag end of their career.

Among the many great qualities this young cricketer possesses, the ability to pace his innings according to the format stands out. The testament to this statement is his run of form in the T20Is and ODIs recently.

Having delivered an unforgettable performance in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League, where he registered 635 runs at an average of 45.36 and a strike rate of 136.36, he is now bolstering his claim to enter the ODI setup of the Indian side, having smashed three back-to-back hundreds in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Maharashtra.

Ruturaj Gaikwad averages 46.61 in his IPL career, having made his debut in 2020.

The UAE conditions proved to be tough for most batters, with not as many runs being scored as they would be if the tournament was in India. However, Chennai Super Kings’ cheat code that kept them one step ahead in most games were their openers, who finished as the top two run-scorers in the tournament.

It has become more evident in recent times that an MVP in T20 cricket is a batter who can slog from ball one and can strike it at over 135 per hundred comfortably. This counter-attacking strategy from the get-go, implemented brilliantly by the English limited-overs team in both white-ball formats over the years, was a major feature in helping the men in yellow go all the way.

The 24-year-old from Pune never looked fazed to pair up with one of the best in this generation in Faf du Plessis, and the duo went toe-to-toe against the seamers and spinners. Ruturaj also delivered some top knocks when the chips were down, the most notable one coming in the first game after the tournament was shifted to UAE.

Also read: WATCH: Irresistible Ruturaj Gaikwad pulls off ridiculous sweep for six off Bumrah’s yorker

On an incredibly tricky, slow track, where numbers 2, 3, and 4 got out for a duck, Ruturaj held his nerve against the likes of Boult, Milne and Bumrah to power his way to a 58-ball 88. That was quite a defining knock of his IPL career, where he didn’t just wait for the right opportunity, he created his luck out of nowhere.

Against the good and great, spotlight or no spotlight, the youngster has been scoring runs regardless of where he is playing, and seamlessly transitions himself into the need of the hour.

Can Ruturaj Gaikwad solve the opening conundrum moving forward?

Shikhar Dhawan’s form always remains worrisome ahead of a major tournament, but his track record of doing well in big tournaments gets him a nod. A major criticism for Rohit Sharma is the number of times he fell in the early overs in big games, KL Rahul is just about garnering his reputation and he is perpetually on the rise.

This is indeed a great time for a player like Gaikwad to be in the setup, to not just learn a few trade tricks from the senior men, but also to help himself fill one of their boots once they call it quits. It doesn’t seem like Shikhar Dhawan or the limited-overs captain will be playing beyond 2023 in Indian colors, which makes it furthermore necessary for the management to look into options like Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw.

Gaikwad has scored 435 runs in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, which includes 3 centuries.

Whilst Shaw has proven himself to be a member of the “Virender Sehwag school of batting”, Ruturaj has got more variations to his game, making him adaptable to not just different conditions, but also in different batting positions. It might not be the most unforeseeable thing right now, but there is a good chance for this young lad to be the solution for India’s number 4 conundrum if he is given the right opportunities.

Not often do we see a cricketer who got to spend just one full season in the IPL make a wholesome impact on the Indian opening scenario as this cricketer did, and considering the array of shots he is capable of, against all kinds of bowlers, Indian fans are already assessing and weighing his chances of featuring in the 2023 World Cup, that will be hosted in India.

Whilst it may be a little difficult for the lad to break through for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, with the runs he is scoring, it makes sense for the current management to bring him into the picture and groom him match-ready for these big games.

Perhaps a bit too far-fetched, or it may seem apt for some, but there is a feeling that Ruturaj could be in the 2023 World Cup what Virat Kohli was in the 2011 World Cup. Maybe not the most important of a role in the top order, which is something he would prefer going forward, but an invaluable presence at number 4 or 5.

This isn’t the first time a youngster has shown great promise at the domestic level for all the experts to rave about, and won’t be the last. But if the past has taught Indian management something, it is the need to be proactive in order to achieve bigger and better results.

The seed that is Ruturaj Gaikwad, as it stands, is well capable of turning into a prized possession, perhaps more than most in the current pool of young talent.