By Bharath Ramaraj
Many moons ago, somewhere in 2018, Ruturaj Gaikwad essayed a game-breaking hundred for Maharashtra against Himachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The essence of the hundred wasn’t necessarily about the runs he scored, but the manner in which he compiled them. He shifted gears smartly and paced his innings in tune with the changing rhythms of the game, finishing with an almost run-a-ball 114.
At 28, Gaikwad has now become a seasoned campaigner, not just in domestic cricket but also in the glitzy world of the IPL. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that he averages an impressive 57 in 90 List A games. Only recently, he accumulated 210 runs against South Africa A at a noteworthy average of 105.
Unfortunately, competition for places in India’s white-ball sides is intense. The consequence is that Gaikwad has featured in just seven ODIs, along with 23 T20Is.
As fate would have it, after a gap of almost two years, when Gaikwad finally received another opportunity in ODIs, he was dismissed for nought thanks to Dewald Brevis’ brilliance in the field. In a nutshell, it encapsulates everything one needs to know about the unforgiving nature of professional sport. All the work put in at training can still fail to yield returns on the big day.
In fact, calls have already begun for Gaikwad to be dropped from the playing XI. Logically, though, he deserves to play at least a few more matches to showcase his worth. And for a batter whose skill set appears tailor-made for the 50-over format, it makes sense for the think-tank to grant him a longer run.
The only caveat here is Gaikwad’s preference for batting somewhere at the top of the order. Unfortunately for him, India’s top order is packed with established names. Even with Shubman Gill out injured, Yashasvi Jaiswal is waiting in the wings.
All those years ago, Gaikwad’s sublime drives and his strike-farming against Himachal Pradesh offered enough indicators that he might one day represent India. Moreover, ODI cricket always looked set to be his best format. His career graph hasn’t quite unfolded as many envisaged. Maybe now is the right time for him to grab his chances and make an impression. If he doesn’t, given India’s white-ball riches, he could soon find himself back in the wilderness.
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