Former India selector Kiran More heaped rich praise on young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, hailing his potential as a solid Test player and even as a future captain for India. Gaikwad hit 19* off 16 deliveries as India won by eight wickets using the D/L method to take a 1-0 series lead.
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener is vice-captain of the Ireland T20I squad led by the returning Jasprit Bumrah. The 26-year-old, who was part of the Indian Test squad on the West Indies tour, will captain the Indian second-string side in the upcoming Asian games, which begin on September 23.
“I’m waiting for his (Gaikwad) Test debut. Both (Gaikwad and Jaiswal) are outstanding players. Ruturaj can play all formats, his basics are so correct. He can be the future captain of India as well. He has got a great temperament. He plays under MS Dhoni, so he must have learned things about handling the team and handling the situations. He’s a quality player, and I’m waiting for him to make his Test debut,” More said while speaking to Jio Cinema.
Gaikwad is the captain of the Maharashtra T20 and List-A side, having led the team to the Vijay Hazare Trophy final a year ago. He played an important role in CSK’s IPL titles in 2021 and 2023, scoring 635 and 590 runs, respectively.
Meanwhile, Saba Karim believes Ruturaj Gaikwad’s chances of remaining in the Indian team will only get tougher. Although he has yet to make his Test debut, the graceful opener has appeared in ten T20Is and two ODIs for India, scoring just one half-century. Gaikwad, on the other hand, has an impressive domestic record, averaging 42.19 in first-class cricket and more than 60 in List-A games.
“Yashasvi scored a hundred on his Test debut, then smashed a half-century during the T20I series against West Indies as well. Things are not easy for him, because there are several cricketers waiting for Ruturaj Gaikwad to fail so they can get a look-in. This is when your character has to come out, can you take that pressure? That is why this is a phase where he has to rely on his ability and try to put a big score,” Karim said.
