Ruturaj Gaikwad has an average of 42.69 in first-class cricket but has yet to make his Test debut for India.
The All India Selection Committee has announced a 16-member squad for the first Test match against Bangladesh. Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli returned to the red-ball team, while Yash Dayal received his maiden India call-up. There were also some notable absentees on the squad. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who recently led India C to win over Shreyas Iyer and Co. in the Duleep Trophy, failed to get a place in the squad. The 27-year-old scored 46 runs off 48 balls in the second innings against India D, which was laced with 8 fours and set the platform for a successful chase for his side.
Gaikwad has an average of 42.69 in first-class cricket but has yet to make his Test debut. The position where Gaikwad bats – opening slot – is also a reason why he is struggling to get into the Indian team. There is a jam-pack in India’s top order with skipper Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the opening slot and Shubman Gill at number 3. Being a skipper and considering his recent performances, Rohit is an undisputed starter in the XI, while Yashasvi has been in red form in Test cricket as he scored over 700 runs in the Test series against England. Meanwhile, Shubman also got his mojo back in the England series and was the second-highest run-getter with 452 runs, which made it tough for Gaikwad to get into the Indian team.
However, some fans were not impressed and bashed the selection committee for Gaikwad’s exclusion from the Test squad for the first Bangladesh Test.
Rishabh Pant makes a return to Test cricket
The inclusion of Pant was the biggest takeaway from India’s squad, as he has not played since 2022 after he missed competitive cricket for about 14 months due to a horrific car accident.
Pant has impressed since his return to elite cricket last year and has kept up form across formats, including in the team’s T20 World Cup triumph in June. He will be looking to make a strong comeback in the red-ball format, where he played several incredible knocks in the past.
India’s long Test season begins with the first of the two Tests against Bangladesh in Chennai.
The second Test of the series will be played at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1.
