There has been a lot of talk going on about the inclusion of Maharashtra and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Ruturaj Gaikwad into India’s Test squad for the upcoming series against West Indies next month. While many feel IPL has played a part in the selectors picking Gaikwad ahead of a seasoned domestic performer like Sarfaraz Khan, former Indian selector Dilip Vengsarkar has something else to say. He feels the players who are good enough can make adjustments in any format. He also said that players are equally in contention and that IPL performance doesn’t get preference as well.
Here’s what Dilip Vengsarkar told The Indian Express about Ruturaj Gaikwad: “He is definitely someone with a great potential, but you will only know when he plays. Red ball or white ball doesn’t matter. It is all the same. A good player will adjust to all formats. The thing we have to wait to see is how he performs in Test cricket. And I don’t understand this queue. Every player is in contention.
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However, CSK’s batting coach Michael Hussey has spent a lot of time with Ruturaj Gaikwad in the nets to understand his game and he also feels the opener is ready for international cricket.
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On this, Hussey stated: “There is no doubt in my mind that Ruturaj can play at the international level. He’s definitely good enough to be there and I would love to see and get a good run. International cricket is tough. He’s probably going to take a little bit of time just to find his feet at that level. But I have no doubt in my mind that he can be a success at that level.”
However, Ruturaj Gaikwad could replace Cheteshwar Pujara at the No.3 spot in West Indies Tests as well.
