R Ashwin Calls for Extended ODI Opportunity for Ruturaj Gaikwad After Maiden Ton

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad to receive a longer run in the national ODI setup following his maiden century against South Africa on Thursday. Gaikwad, who scored a fluent 105 off 83 balls in Raipur, capitalised on an opportunity created by the injuries to Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. His innings, marked by crisp shot selection, confident running between the wickets, and strong chemistry with Virat Kohli, stood out as one of his most accomplished performances in international cricket to date.

Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat, said Gaikwad had previously struggled to get a sustained run in the side despite consistent domestic and India A performances. The right-hander recently accumulated 210 runs in three matches against South Africa A, including a century and a fifty, and came into the ODI series following strong red-ball form. Ashwin noted that external expectations and intermittent injuries had disrupted Gaikwad’s rhythm in the past but argued that the batter possessed all the technical and temperament-based qualities needed to succeed at No. 4 in ODIs.

Explaining his stance, Ashwin said Gaikwad’s weakness against early swing would be mitigated in the middle order, allowing his strengths against spin and his footwork to shine. The off-spinner added that Gaikwad’s all-round batting range and ability to accelerate made him an ideal long-term contender for India’s middle order. He further suggested that even when Shreyas Iyer returns from injury, Gaikwad should remain in the XI, with flexibility available to push either Gaikwad or even Kohli higher up the order if needed. Ashwin praised the 195-run partnership between Kohli and Gaikwad—a record for any wicket in India–South Africa ODIs—calling their complementary approach “brilliant to watch”.

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Despite Gaikwad and Kohli’s efforts, South Africa chased down 359 in Raipur, led by a century from Aiden Markram. India now heads to Visakhapatnam for the series decider on Saturday, a venue where Kohli has historically excelled with 587 runs in seven innings at an average of nearly 98. Ashwin concluded that Gaikwad had demonstrated the ability to operate in “double gear” and should no longer be viewed as a temporary replacement but as a long-term asset deserving trust and continuity in India’s ODI plans.

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