Ruturaj Gaikwad has been left out of India's 15-man T20I squad for the upcoming series against England. The opener, who has a fantastic record in the few opportunities he's had, isn't even on the sidelines right now but rather as far away from the action as possible. Gaikwad is one such batter who has earned fame after relentless hard work in a platform like IPL.

This led him being the right successor of MS Dhoni by being the captain of the five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings. It's not just this forthcoming bilateral series; he has been excluded in many crucial International matches. That said, here we look at the probable reasons behind the talk of the matter that perplexed many fans. 

1. Intense race for the coveted top-order batting spots

There is no question that Ruturaj Gaikwad is a superb player, but he is now competing with more than five other players for the opening berth, which Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson currently hold. The latter two don't play T20Is often since the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) prefers Test cricket to the shorter format. Hence, they've been rested from T20Is to manage their workloads. The names Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, and Sanju Samson make it highly competitive for the Maharashtrian batter, as each has a unique skill set that will aid the squad significantly.

Another significant factor is his potential and natural game. One can argue that Gaikwad is the most skilled striker among those named, especially considering that it's the shortest game format. He looks more like an anchor than an aggressor. All of the others can start smashing right away, something Gaikwad has yet to do, where he takes his time to get to his swashbuckling form. Even age is also a consideration, as Sanju Samson is the only one older than him. All the others are younger, and selectors may choose them over him. Ultimately, it's all about the proper set of permutations and combinations made in the think tank of the Indian Cricket team's selection process.

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2. Probable selection bias and internal politics

Stirring up controversies and debates, particularly amongst Indian cricket fanatics, is not a relatively new thing. Ever since the sport's evolution, a particular sect of spectators has become more inclined and invested in the goof-ups and stories than the usual game itself. With several incidents prominently and vividly remembered by many, Ruturaj Gaikwad's long-run exclusion from the international team acts as an addition to the list of such a story. Though his gameplay doesn't match the fast-paced T20I format, leading him to be ignored for the forthcoming bilateral series against England, Gaikwad has encountered such moments for quite a long time.

Be it from not getting selected for the forgettable and recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy or even the home bilateralT20I series against Bangladesh, his name not being present on the 15-man Squad for International games has got everyone perplexed. Many speculate that it's due to internal board politics, with head coach Gautam Gambhir having a bias on player selection towards his former franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, over his arch-rival team, Chennai Super Kings, where Gaikwad comes from. And it's just one of them; other reasons come from where he had a rift with the former T20I captain, Rohit Sharma, which led him to get ignored for a long period. In the end, these speculated theories keep on coming and going. Unless and until any of these have a concrete backing, that is when the eyes would be facing them. 

No matter what the reasons are, as mentioned above, it is no surprise that Ruturaj Gaikwad has been phenomenal with the bat through his recent performances. With his noteworthy mentions coming from the IPL, Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, Gaikwad has got all the boxes ticked to get a callback to don the Indian jersey.

Though some of the aspects do have their own viability and sense, it's all about time that will tell the competent batter's future in the International circuit. Also, the whole Indian cricket fandom would suffice with the things that are beneficial for the team and its prospects, with Ruturaj Gaikwad being one of the probable central pillars towards their path, as many yearn for him not to be another missed out competent opportunity. 

As always, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have a unique approach for the Indian Premier League auction. The IPL Mega Auction ahead of the 2025 season was no exception for them. CSK is a team that understands what it wants and has won five championships convincingly.

Following a disappointing IPL 2024 season, CSK will look to rebound and display their capabilities with their gathered roster. Before the auction, CSK retained five players: MS Dhoni, Shivam Dube, Rituraj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, and Matheesha Pathirana. CSK has a rich roster of trustworthy domestic and overseas players. That said, here is a list of the two strengths and a weakness of the 2025 Chennai Super Kings side. 

Chennai Super Kings 2025 IPL Squad: Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni, Noor Ahmad, R Ashwin, Devon Conway, Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Anshul Kamboj, Sam Curran, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Vijay Shankar, Vansh Bedi, Shreyas Gopal, C Andre Siddarth, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Shaik Rasheed, Mukesh Choudhary, Kamlesh Nagarkoti.

2 Strengths:

Perfect Spinners for Chepauk Conditions

CSK boasts one of the best spin units. With the Chennai pitch predicted to help spinmeisters, CSK will field three spinners and strangle the opposition batters. All three spinners differ from one another, which adds variation. Ravichandran Ashwin, who last played for CSK in 2015, returns to the team after stints with Punjab, Delhi, and Rajasthan.

Ravindra Jadeja has been a consistent performer for CSK as an efficient bowler. Finally, former Gujarat Titans spinner Noor Ahmad was purchased for a whopping INR 10 crores. The emerging Afghan spin has 137 T20 scalps averaging at 23.08. So CSK will rely on 12 excellent overs of spin in Chennai to challenge visiting teams on slow tracks.

Emerging and underdog batting lineup

The five-time IPL winners' batting assault is another significant advantage that the Men in Yellow will be eager to utilise to the utmost. Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad are a reliable starting pair, with Rachin Ravindra serving as Conway's backup, and their recent play has been impressive. However, considering CSK's reliance on Indian pacers, Rachin Ravindra, a spin allrounder, might step in at number three.

This means Rahul Tripathi will play fourth, with Shivam Dube at fifth. The top four or five are CSK's best and will be relied on heavily. Dube, in particular, has a role to play and is well-known for his tremendous and swashbuckling hits. And, of course, not to forget our vintage and massy mid-order batting display by Thala, a.k.a, MS Dhoni.

1 Weakness:

Lack of reliable and backup allrounder, hindering the mid and lower-order

CSK stunned everyone when signing Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda. Despite their expertise, they never seemed to hit the ground running in the IPL. Deepak Hooda and Vijay Shankar can be regarded as CSK's mediocre buy. Overall, both allrounders are solid but not exceptional, but only time will tell if they will unleash their finest performance.

As a result, their lower-order batting lacks quality and experience. It is a paper-thin batting. If Dhoni has fitness difficulties, CSK would struggle in the finishing area. This would compel them to play Overton or Curran, making Rachin Ravindra make his way out of the Playing XI arsenal.

Srikkanth Calls Shubman Gill Overrated

On his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth, a major name from India's 1986 World Cup win and famous for not holding back, got very upset with Shubman Gill. Mr. Srikkanth was basically saying, I have been telling people Shubman Gill is overrated for years but it's clear nobody cared. The man is significantly overrated.

Srikkanth questioned Gill's repeated inclusion in the playing XI and pointed out the lack of opportunities for other players like Suryakumar Yadav. Addressing the Ajit Agarkar led selection committee, he remarked, "When Gill is being given so many chances, one might wonder if someone like Suryakumar Yadav could have also been given a longer run in Tests."

Srikkanth mentioned that Suryakumar has the skills and technique, even though he didn't begin well in tests. But, he also said that the selectors and management see him mainly as a white-ball player, so they should look for new talent now.

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In addition to Suryakumar, Srikkanth recommended two other Indian batters for selection in the Test team. "Ruturaj Gaikwad, for instance, has been performing exceptionally well in first-class cricket, but he's been overlooked. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan has been impressing in 'A' tours. It's important to promote such emerging talents, but instead, they keep picking Gill, running in circles," he added.

Rohit Sharma, the Captain, wasn't there for the Perth match, and Gill also missed the first Test because he was hurt--but India still won it. Gill wasn't part of the fourth Test because he wasn't doing a good job--but he did come back for the last trade. After coming back, India started to have a tougher time. Then everything became very exciting when Ravichandran Ashwin decided to retire right after the third Test, and everyone was discussing it.Despite coming back, Rohit decided to skip the fifth Test.

Cheeka talking about Shubman Gill.

- He is playing very poorly
- no one is talking about Gill, people talking about KL Rahul and virat form why not Gill
- If Gill plays in England 1 or 2 balls or 1 over He will get out pic.twitter.com/7kvj0J9OP0

— Prakash (@definitelynot05) January 4, 2025

Shubman Gill, who had been part of the Indian squad for the early matches, was sidelined for the first Test of the series due to an injury, which India won. At the same time, Rohit Sharma missed the Perth fixture, leaving avoid in the leadership and batting lineup. The team's fortunes took a downturn in the subsequent matches, with their performance faltering despite high expectations.

Ravichandran Ashwin, a key figure in India's bowling attack, announced his immediate retirement after the third Test under controversial circumstances, sparking debate within the cricket community. His exit added to the already tense atmosphere surrounding the team.

Gill, struggling with form throughout the series, was dropped for the fourth Test. He was given another opportunity to prove himself in the final Test, making his return to the playing XI. However, Rohit Sharma decided to sit out the fifth Test, raising questions about his fitness and readiness. His absence in the final match further complicated India's efforts to secure a victory in the series. Despite returning, Gill's performance remained under scrutiny, adding to the ongoing discussions about his place in the team.

Shubman Gill Career Stats Batting & Fielding

In a recent event, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was in an awkward moment where he hilariously dragged Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Recently, Ruturaj Gaikwad was present at the INFYusion event hosted by Infosys in Bengaluru, where his mic was suddenly turned off. When the presenter was querying about the incident, the CSK skipper hilariously said that it might be done by an RCB fan.

Here are the scenarios of that event

Presenter: What's happening here? Who turned off Ruturaj Gaikwad's mic?

Ruturaj: Maybe an RCB fan.

Presenter: What's your favorite IPL moment?

Ruturaj: My first match as captain, and we won that match against RCB.

He has taken these RCB related incidents personally which has happened after 18th May🥶🥶..
He's gonna cook this IPL..
Mark my words 💥💥 pic.twitter.com/3ZZDls3oeE

— Mahi Way (@NamahShivaay108) December 19, 2024

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RCB vs CSK battle in the IPL 2024

Just before the beginning of the IPL 2024, Ruturaj Gaikwad was chosen as the new captain of Chennai Super Kings, one of the most successful IPL teams. The Indian cricketer started his IPL captaincy journey with the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chennai, where CSK won by six wickets. It was the first game of the IPL 2024, and the defending champions confidently started the tournament under new leadership.

Defending champions CSK were in a do-or-die situation in the last league stage game of the IPL 2024 against RCB at Bengaluru. It was a tight contest between RCB and CSK, where RCB scored 218/5, but they needed to stop CSK at less than 200 runs to qualify for the playoffs; CSK would qualify for the playoffs by scoring 200 or more runs. The match went to the last over, where CSK scored 191/7 and RCB booked their spot for the playoffs.

IPL 2024 most runs also experienced RCB vs CSK battle

In the IPL 2024, while the former RCB captain Virat Kohli finished as the leading run-scorer with 741 runs, CSK skipper Gaikwad scored 583 runs and finished as the second-most run-scorer in the tournament. 

The men’s selection committee has selected a 15-member India A squad for the upcoming Australia tour. In this tour, India A will play two first-class matches along with one special game. 

The upcoming India A tour of Australia is very important for Indian cricket, as the Indian national cricket team will tour Australia in the second half of November to play the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It will be a five-match Test series, which will be a part of the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. 

India A will play two first-class matches

India A is set to travel to Australia. In this upcoming tour, India A will play two first-class matches against Australia A. McKay will host the first-class match from October 31 and Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the second first-class match from November 7. Both the matches will be four-day challenges. 

Also one intra-squad game

Later, India A will play a three-day intra-squad game against the Indian national cricket team at WACA, Perth. It will be an important practice match for the Indian national cricket team before the beginning of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that will begin on November 22.  

India A leaders and wicketkeepers

Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead India A squad in the upcoming Australia tour, while the in-form domestic cricket opener Abhimanyu Easwaran will play the vice-captain role. Ishan Kishan and Abishek Porel have been selected as the wicketkeepers. 

Other India A members

Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, and Navdeep Saini have been selected as the pacers in the India A squad. Talking about the spinners, the selectors have selected the left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Manav Suthar and the off-spin bowling all-rounder Tanush Kotian. 

Nitish Kumar Reddy, who recently made his T20I debut during the home series against Bangladesh and won the Player of the Match award in the Delhi T20I for his all-round performances (74 off 34 balls and 4-0-23-2), has been selected in the India A squad. 

Talking about batting, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, and Baba Indrajith are the other key names apart from the leaders and wicketkeepers. 

India A squad for Australia tour

Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (wk), Abishek Porel (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian

Mumbai and Maharashtra are currently playing in the Ranji Trophy match where both the Indian batters Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad made headlines with their respective centuries. While Iyer scored one yesterday (142 off 190), Gaikwad smashed a hundred on Sunday, giving a strong message to the selectors for his selection in the Test squad as well.

However, with this, he has smashed his seventh century in First-Class cricket. Gaikwad reached the three-figure mark on Day 3 of the match at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC, Mumbai. The Maharashtra captain helped his side to steady in the middle after they lost Siddhesh Veer early in the game. Notably, Mumbai were bowled out for 441 in the first innings as well.

Ruturaj Gaikwad shines with the bat

Notably, Gaikwad has 14 half-centuries to his name so far. In 35 matches, the veteran Maharashtra batter has scored past 2,400 runs in red-ball cricket as well. He scored at an average of over 43. Gaikwad, who has represented India in six ODIs and 23 T20Is, is yet to feature in the longer format as well.

Moreover, Gaikwad has been in good form recently. He led the Rest of India in the Irani Cup against Mumbai and also started off the Ranji Trophy with 86 against Jammu & Kashmir before being dismissed for a duck in the next match against Mumbai as well. 

R D Gaikwad 101 runs in 87 balls (14x4, 2x6) Maharashtra 176/1 #MUMvMAH #RanjiTrophy #Elite Scorecard:https://t.co/l7QWZwMQUU

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) October 20, 2024

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Ruturaj Gaikwad is likely to lead the India A team

Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad is likely to lead the India A team on the tour of Australia later this month as well. Apart from Gaikwad, the 15-man squad includes other batters like Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan. Moreover, India will likely need to name a reserve Test opener for the Australia series, considering Rohit Sharma set to miss one of the first two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for personal reasons as well.

The matches against Australia A could give match practice, or act as an audition, for a few of the backup players likely to be added to the Test squad and it could be helpful for Gaikwad as well. 

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has once again been overlooked by the Indian selectors, despite not doing anything wrong. He wasn’t picked for the Indian cricket team’s ongoing tour of Sri Lanka, and has been dropped from the team for the upcoming limited overs series in Sri Lanka.

However, Gaikwad has bounced back by returning as the captain of his state team, following this latest setback. The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) has announced their probable squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season 2024-25, with Gaikwad as the new captain.

Gaikwad named Maharashtra Ranji Trophy captain

Sulakshan Kulkarni, a former Mumbai wicketkeeper batter, has been appointed as the new head coach of the Maharashtra Cricket Team for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. Gaikwad, who previously led Maharashtra’s List-A and T20 teams, is now the captain for the prestigious first-class tournament.

Gaikwad has replaced Kedar Jadhav as Maharashtra’s captain for the Ranji Trophy after Jadhav retired from all forms of the game last month. Sulakshan Kulkarni has also replaced Santosh Jedhe as the head coach of the Maharashtra cricket team.

MCA announces 28-member probable squad

On July 25, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) took to social media to announce the 28-member probable squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25. With Kulkarni’s guidance and Gaikwad’s fresh red-ball captaincy, the team will have a fresh start as many senior players have retired.

Notably, Gaikwad was a strong candidate for India’s T20I captaincy but was overlooked for the role. Instead, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were chosen for the T20I team, with the Gujarat Titans skipper named vice-captain.

BCCI’s plans for the 2024-25 domestic season

The 2024-25 domestic cricket season will feature longer breaks between matches to give players more recovery time and ensure top performance throughout the season. The Ranji Trophy 2024-25 will be conducted in two phases.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah had said in a statement: “The season will kick off with the Duleep Trophy tournament, featuring four teams selected by national selectors. Following this, the Irani Cup tournament will take place. After these, two tournaments will be held: the first five league games (per team) of the Ranji Trophy, followed by the T20 competition, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the 50-over tournament, the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The season will conclude with the remaining two league games of the Ranji trophy and knockout stages.”

India’s rising stars Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill made big jumps in the ICC T20I rankings after their impressive performances on the Zimbabwe tour. Jaiswal moved up four spots to reach 6th place with 743 points, just behind Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. Travis Head stayed at the top of the rankings, with Suryakumar Yadav and England’s Phil Salt tied for second with 797 points each.

Shubman Gill, who captained India for the series, climbed a remarkable 36 places to secure the 37th spot. This made him the fourth highest ranked Indian in T20I, ahead of Rohit Sharma (42nd) and Virat Kohli (51st), who recently retired from T20I cricket. Gill now trails only Suryakumar Yadav (2nd), Jaiswal (6th), and Ruturaj Gaikwad (8th) among Indian batters.

Jaiswal and Gill shine in ICC T20I rankings

Gill and Jaiswal seized their opportunities, emerging as top run scorers in the series. Gill was the leading run scorer with 170 runs in five matches, boasting a strike rate of 125.93 and an average of 42.50.

Impressive performances on the Zimbabwe tour

After missing the first two T20Is, Jaiswal made a splash with an unbeaten 93 in the fourth T20I, scoring a total of 141 runs in three matches at an average of 70.50 and an impressive strike rate of 165.88. Their contributions helped India win the five match series against Zimbabwe 4-1.

Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani also saw a rise, moving up 11 places to 44th in the T20I bowlers rankings. Meanwhile, Washington Sundar climbed 36 spots to 46th, and Mukesh Kumar moved up 21 places to 73rd.

England’s Adil Rashid remained the top ranked T20I bowler, while Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza rise to third in the all-rounders rankings after his strong performances against India.

Talented young batter Ruturaj Gaikwad led Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2024 with MS Dhoni is his side. And, now he is playing under Shubman Gill in the ongoing series against Zimbabwe as well. While he is batting at no. 3, he believes that it would be tough to fill Virat Kohli’s place. However, following India’s win in the T20 World Cup 2024, Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from the T20 format as well.

“Wherever the team sends me, I’m happy to bat there,” Ruturaj said in his batting position on the eve of the third T20I. “There isn’t much of a difference opening the batting or playing at Number 3. You still have to play the new ball. Not much of a difference. It’s a really big topic, it’s not the right point to think about it. To compare to him or to fill in his shoes is really tough.

As I had said in the IPL as well, its difficult to fill Mahi bhai’s shoes as well. You want to start your own career, you want to play your own game. That’s the priority right now, focus on one game, focus on making your team win – for whichever side you play – and make sure you’re on the winning side more often than not.”

SEE ALSO: ‘It’s coming home’ – Team India to reach New Delhi on Thursday

Ruturaj Gaikwad played a key role in the 2nd match for India vs Zimbabwe

However, Ruturaj Gaikwad also admitted that the batting conditions in Zimbabwe are not easy. And, India saw that in the first T20I, as they lost to Zimbabwe before bouncing back in the second as well.

“It’s definitely challenging,” he said. “It’s slightly unique. If you have seam movement coming at you in one pace, you can still negotiate it. But here it’s slightly double-paced and the bounce is also slightly variable. That’s causing a bit of difference. When the ball is new, it’s slightly tougher to score. But once the ball becomes old, with fast outfield and relatively small straight boundaries, you can convert your runs after that.”

“To be honest, not much has changed,” he noted. “My batting has always been the same – take responsibility and play and try to finish the game. It’s just that the way you look at the game, you are more involved when you are used to captaining an IPL team. You tend to be in the game for a longer period of time than when you’re standing at the boundary and just focussing on one ball at a time. But batting-wise, not much of a difference,” Ruturaj Gaikwad concluded.

India bounced back strongly in the series with a resounding 100-run victory over Zimbabwe in Harare. Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad led the charge as India leveled the series on Sunday, July 7th.

In a thrilling comeback, the young Indian team dominated Zimbabwe in the second T20I. Abhishek Sharma played a stellar innings, smashing a sensational century to propel India to a massive total of 234 runs. Zimbabwe struggled right from the start, managing to score only 134 runs in response, thanks to outstanding bowling performances by Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, and Mukesh Kumar.

Zimbabwe’s early charge and subsequent collapse

Zimbabwe began their chase aggressively, with Brian Bennett hitting boundaries early on. However, his departure after a quickfire 26 marked the start of Zimbabwe’s downfall. They lost wickets consistently, finding themselves at 76/7 by the 12th over. Luke Jongwe and Wessley Madhvere tried to revive the innings, but Zimbabwe eventually succumbed, getting all out in the 18.4 overs.

Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan stood out with their superb bowling. Bishnoi conceded just 11 runs in his spell and took crucial wickets, while Avesh Khan troubled the batsmen with his pace and aggression.

Abhishek Sharma’s explosive century

The match belonged to Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who played pivotal roles with their contrasting yet effective batting styles. Abhishek Sharma, after a slow start unleashed his aggression to score a maiden T20I century. He hit 8 sixes and 7 boundaries in his explosive innings, dominating the Zimbabwean bowlers.

Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad showcased his class with an unbeaten 77 off 47 balls, paying homage to MS Dhoni on his birthday. The duo’s partnership of 137 runs set India on course for their highest-ever T20I total against Zimbabwe.

Rinku Singh also made a significant contribution, smashing 48* off just 22 balls towards the end of the innings, further bolstering India’s formidable total.

With this win India has tied the series 1-1 there are still three matches to go.