NEW DELHI: Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a maiden century against South Africa in the second ODI in Raipur. He went past Virat Kohli to achieve the highest batting average by an Indian in List A cricket history, yet found his name missing from the three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin suggested that the selectors might have been better served opting for Gaikwad instead of Rishabh Pant. He reasoned that Pant is naturally more effective at the top of the order, and using him in the middle order may not play to his strengths.
"Could Gaikwad have been kept in the squad? I think that was a real possibility. The only spot of contention is between Pant and Gaikwad. It was a straight decision. Shreyas Iyer deserved to come back after the injury, so no discussion there. It is his rightful position. The debate is over who goes out. Between a second wicketkeeper and a batter, you can get a keeper from anywhere to cover," he said on 'Ash ki Baat'.
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"Who will keep a track on Ruturaj Gaikwad's mindset now? At four or five, I am sticking my neck out, his batting against spin and ability to run between wickets and close out an innings is phenomenal. I personally don't think Pant can bat in the middle-order in white-ball cricket at the moment. I think he is a top-three batter," he added.
Ashwin believes Gaikwad's opportunities at the international level will remain limited as long as stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue to be part of the setup, making it difficult for him to secure an extended run in the side.
"Ruturaj will get a long rope only when Rohit and Kohli decide to hang up their boots. Till then, getting a long run for him is going to be hard," Ashwin said.
"When Kohli came into the team, there were not as many players knocking on the door with immense talent and Kohli's talent was shining through. I remember when we were playing CSK vs RCB in Durban, he stepped out and hit Muralitharan for a six. He made everyone take notice. Those are the things that stood out. The competition for places now is absolutely brutal," he added.
