Ruturaj Gaikwad Snubbed For T20 World Cup Team, Srikkanth Accused BCCI Of 'Favouritism'
This decision has sparked various controversies, as many are not happy that the most in-form Indian opener was not selected for such an important tournament.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is dazzling this IPL season, as he is the current orange cap holder with 509 runs in 10 matches and an average of 63.62. He is even above the legendary Virat Kohli and has already scored four half-centuries and a tremendous century this season. He is currently the highest run scorer among any Indian opener, but despite all this, he could not make it to the 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup. Not only that, the Chennai Super Kings skipper also failed to make the 4-man reserve list.
This decision has sparked various controversies, as many are not happy that the most in-form Indian opener was not selected for such an important tournament. One of the critics of this decision has been Krishnamachari Srikkanth. The legendary Indian batsman lashed out at BCCI for excluding Ruturaj Gaikwad on his YouTube channel. He highlighted that Shubman Gill made the squad despite being in poor form and also accused selectors of 'favoritism'.
Shubman Gill is totally out of form, but why was he selected for the team? There's no doubt that Ruturaj Gaikwad deserves a place. He scored more than 500 runs in 17 innings. Also, he scored a century against Australia. Shubman Gill is the selectors' delight. He gets a chance, even if he fails. He finds a place even if he fails in Tests, ODIs, and T20s. There's too much favoritism in the selection. The team selection is all about favoritism," said the Indian legend.
Rahul, who was India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, was also snubbed and replaced with Rajasthan Royal's skipper Sanju Samson. Another notable selection was Shivam Dube, but incredible players like Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag also missed out on making the squad for the prestigious tournament.
Ruturaj Gaikwad will feel disappointed after missing out on a ticket to the ICC showpiece event. The young opener has shown immense maturity and leadership qualities since MS Dhoni handed over CSK's captaincy to him on the eve of IPL 2024. He will look to prove the selectors wrong by continuing his scintillating form for CSK, and he will be highly motivated to win the Indian Premier League as well.
