Updated on: Jan 04, 2026 06:31 am IST
Ravichandran Ashwin offered words of encouragement to his former CSK teammate Gaikwad following his ODI squad snub.
The BCCI selection committee raised a few eyebrows while naming India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series, with Ruturaj Gaikwad’s omission standing out as the most debated call. The Maharashtra batter had scored a fine century against South Africa in the previous series and appeared to have strengthened his case, but still found no place in the lineup. His exclusion made way for the return of Shreyas Iyer, who missed the Proteas series through injury and is yet to receive full fitness clearance. Despite that uncertainty, the selectors opted against naming Gaikwad even as a standby option. Yashasvi Jaiswal, on the other hand, held on to his role as the third opener after his match-winning hundred against South Africa, once again pushing Gaikwad to the fringes of the ODI setup.
Ruturaj made his ODI debut in 2022, but since then, he hasn’t had consistent opportunities and has played just nine matches, in which he scored 228 runs at an average of 28.50, including a century and a fifty.
Veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin offered words of encouragement to his former CSK teammate Gaikwad following his ODI squad snub, highlighting the fierce competition for spots in the Indian team and urging the batter to keep showing up and never give up.
“No matter how you feel. Get up, dress up, pad up, show up and never give up. It can be hard to miss but such is the competition for places in the Indian team. #RuturajGaikwad,” Ashwin wrote on X.
Aakash Chopra raises big questions
Former India opener Aakash Chopra questioned the logic behind India’s squad selections on X, highlighting that Gaikwad and Tilak Varma were missing due to the return of senior players. He raised concerns over Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s limited opportunities, questioning India’s approach to balancing experience and building a future-ready lineup.
“Ruturaj misses out because Iyer is back. So does Tilak because Gill is back. And that begs a question—why didn’t they play Pant at 4 when the opportunity presented itself vs SA? Since you’re continuing with him as a back-up keeper, it would’ve made a lot more sense to play him in Iyer’s absence. Also, if NKR is indispensable…why doesn’t he get a game? Even when India’s fielding 3 pacers?? Will he get a game now?? With four pacers? How can you get future-ready (read for Pandya’s absence) when he’s always warming the bench?” Chopra wrote on X.
