Ruturaj Gaikwad Injury Update: The Indian opening batter didn’t bat in the recently concluded first India vs Ireland T20I.
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India have kick-started their third tour of Ireland with a clinical 7-wicket victory to maintain a winning streak against this opposition. A 1-0 lead in a two-match T20I series should be able to aid India in clinching the series assuming the second match is abandoned by rain.
Expected to play spoilsport at The Village tonight, rainfall after the toss resulted in shortening the length of the match to 12 overs. India, who were required to chase 109 runs, did so in the 10th over without any major discomfort.
Leading India for the first time, Hardik Pandya was supported by senior bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal as they restricted the hosts to 108/4 in 12 overs after the captain won the toss and chose to bowl. While both Kumar and Chahal picked a wicket apiece, the leg-spinner was declared the Player of the Match for his economy rate of 3.66.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Injury Update
Opening the batting for the first time in his 160-match T20 career, Deepak Hooda top-scored for India with his 47* (29) comprising of six fours and two sixes including the winning shot off Ireland pacer Josh Little. Ishan Kishan, Hooda’s opening partner, ensured a quickfire start with his 26 (11) at a strike rate of 236.36 in Dublin on Sunday.
That being said, a batting promotion for Hooda was only possible due to regular opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad’s absence. Named in the Playing XI, Gaikwad is expected to have picked some sort of an injury or illness while fielding in the first innings.
While there has been no official update from the team management till now, Gaikwad not getting to bat despite India losing three wicketsis highly unlikely of being a strategic move. Readers must note that the only two times when Gaikwad had played in the middle-order in T20s were during his first two Indian Premier League matches for Chennai Super Kings in 2020.
