India vs South Africa: Suryakumar Yadav Backs Gaikwad’s Return Despite South Africa Series Omission
India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav recently commented on the absence of opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad from the squad for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. Though Gaikwad's omission raised questions among the fans, Suryakumar praised his abilities and assured fans that Gaikwad would return to the national team soon.
Gaikwad impressed during India’s Zimbabwe tour, scoring 133 runs across four innings with an average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 158.33. Despite his form, he was not included in the South Africa series squad. Following this unusual omission, in a pre-series press conference, Suryakumar described Gaikwad as “a fantastic player” and acknowledged his consistent performances. However, he supported the team management’s selection decisions, implying they aligned with future strategies to strengthen their performances in the upcoming days. Surya said,
He is young and is doing well. I feel, uska bhi number aayega. Woh kehte hain na “apna time aayega”, waise uska bhi time aayega aur jab aayega ek hi saath aayega line se (“My time will come” as the saying goes, and his time will come too, and he’ll get multiple opportunities).
As Gaikwad captains India A in an unofficial Test series against Australia A, he has struggled, with scores of 0, 5, and 4 across two matches. Australia A won the first game, while India A was dismissed for 161 in the second. Gaikwad’s international record includes 633 runs in 23 T20Is at an average of 39.56, as well as 115 runs in six ODIs, with his highest score being 71 off 77 balls against Australia in 2023. His career saw both highs and lows, but his talent is still finding the right spot to shine brighter in the future.
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