Former India player Sadagoppan Ramesh has questioned Ruturaj Gaikwad’s exclusion from the ODI squad to take on New Zealand in January 2026. Ramesh shared that India could’ve included the prolific opening batter instead of Nitish Kumar Reddy as a fifth seam-bowling option as well.
Speaking in the video uploaded on his official Instagram account, the veteran stated that Ruturaj Gaikwad could’ve been added as well.
“He could’ve been selected in the squad in place of someone like Nitish Kumar Reddy. Why is a fifth seam-bowling option required? Whether or not Reddy will bat or bowl is unclear. When it’s not even clear whether he will feature in the eleven, someone like Gaikwad should’ve been there in the squad,” he added.
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“India doesn’t need a fifth seam-bowling option in the original squad for a home series. Even if there is an injury in the squad, someone can be called up soon as it is a home series. What they may have thought is if Shreyas Iyer doesn’t clear the fitness test, Ruturaj Gaikwad can slot into the playing eleven. Even if Iyer is fit and plays all three matches, I feel Gaikwad was a must in the squad,” he shared.
However, Sadagoppan Ramesh also added how Yashasvi Jaiswal retained his spot in the squad despite Shubman Gill’s return and that Ruturaj Gaikwad should’ve been added too.
“A friend called me discussed how well Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel are performing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy but failed to make it to the Indian squad. But Ruturaj Gaikwad has missed out despite sensational performances for India. Bad luck for that guy. He should have at least been in the squad, given he scored a ton in the previous series. The way selectors rewarded Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gaikwad should have been too,” he said.
“Okay, he scored a hundred by batting out of position and the selectors asked him to vacate the spot since the original candidate returned. Now if he goes out of form in domestic cricket and the selectors use that to keep him out of the side, it doesn’t seem justified,” Sadagoppan Ramesh concluded.
