When asked if the two players would be considered for India’s ODI World Cup squad in 2027, head coach Gautam Gambhir came up with a blunt reply.
While Virat Kohli turned out to be the Player of the Series during India’s ODI contests against South Africa, two other players – Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal – also impressed with their respective centuries. Gaikwad scored 105 off 83 in the second game in Raipur, while Jaiswal shone in the series decider with an unbeaten 116, also bagging the Player of the Match award in the final. Interestingly, both are not ODI regulars for India and got their chance only because Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer missed out due to injuries.
When asked if the two players would be considered for India’s ODI World Cup squad in 2027, head coach Gautam Gambhir came up with a blunt reply.
“Look, first we have got to realise that ODI World Cup is two years away from now. The most important think is to stay in the present,” he said at the press conference after India’s nine-wicket win over South Africa in the deciding ODI in Visakhapatnam.
“It’s also important that young boys coming into the set-up are grabbing their opportunities. Someone like Ruturaj Gaikwad, who batted out of position. He is a quality player, we all know. We wanted to give him an opportunity in this series for the kind of form he was in with India A. He actually grabbed that opportunity with both hands, getting a hundred in the second game, when we were under pressure. We were 40 for 2 and then getting that kind of hundred was proper quality,” he added.
Gambhir also praised Jaiswal, who notched his first ODI century in his fourth game in the format.