Not Venkatesh Iyer; Ex-National Selector Dilip Vengsarkar Wants Ruturaj Gaikwad to be Picked For ODI Squad in South Africa

India ODI Squad For SA Tour: Ruturaj Gaikwad has gone from strength to strength over the past three months and now stands a chance to make it to the ODI squad for the tour of South Africa.

Mumbai: From becoming the youngest to bag an Orange Cap in IPL to slamming three consecutive tons in Vijay Hazare Trophy, Ruturaj Gaikwad has gone from strength to strength over the past three months and now stands a chance to make it to the ODI squad for the tour of South Africa.

With there still doubts hovering over whether he would be picked for the tour of South Africa, ex-national selector Dilip Vengsarkar batted for his inclusion in the side.

Asking the selectors to pick him right away and give him a proper run, Vengsarkar reckoned one must always pick a player in form. “You must pick a man in form. How many more runs does he need to score to prove himself? It is high time the selectors pick him straight away and give him a proper run,” Vengsarkar told TOI.

The CSK opener was the leading run-scorer in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) scoring 635 runs at an average of 45.35 and strike rate of 136.26. He also claimed the orange cap at the end of the season. Gaikwad made his debut for India in the Sri Lanka series in July and was also part of the three-match T20 series against New Zealand. He was retained by CSK at Rs 6 crore as their fourth choice.

In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, the Maharashtra skipper now has 414 runs to his name in three innings at a whopping average of 207 and it includes three consecutive centuries. Gaikwad scored 136 against Madhya Pradesh, an unbeaten 154 against Chhattisgarh, and then a brilliant 124 runs off just 129 balls against Kerala.