Suryakumar Yadav on Ruturaj Gaikwad's Absence from T20I Squad: "His Time Will Come"

Ahead of India's first T20I against South Africa, captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked about Ruturaj Gaikwad's absence from the squad.

Suryakumar praised Gaikwad, calling him a fantastic player and mentioned that Gaikwad has been consistent in all formats.

However, he also pointed out that the team management follows a specific selection process and added that other players in good form also deserve their chance. He emphasized that it’s important to respect this process and that Gaikwad's time will come.

Despite Gaikwad's impressive performances across all formats in domestic cricket, he has not been included in the national team recently.

"Ruturaj is doing well, and his time will come," said Suryakumar.

Gaikwad has been in great form. He had a strong performance in the T20I series against Zimbabwe earlier this year. He scored 133 runs at an average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 158.33. Gaikwad has also had success with Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

In addition, he has captained several teams. He led the India C team in the Duleep Trophy. He also captained the Rest of India team in the Irani Cup. Currently, he is leading India A in an unofficial Test series in Australia.

While Gaikwad is highly respected in domestic cricket, he has yet to secure a permanent spot in the national T20I squad.