India unveiled their squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, with a few notable names finding themselves on the sidelines. The squad made headlines following a number of high-profile omissions and a few unexpected inclusions that raised significant questions on the selectors’ thought process.
The most shocking absences were those of Mohammed Shami, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Hardik Pandya. Shami’s exclusion left everyone stunned given his recent powerful performance in the domestic circuit. Hardik Pandya was another notable name missing from the list. However, it was the omission of Ruturaj Gaikwad that drew the sharpest criticism because he had been in promising form in recent assignments.
Former Indian batter Subramaniam Badrinath, meanwhile, expressed his frustration over management's decision to exclude reliable players, particularly Ruturaj Gaikwad.
"Along with the two all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy is there in the squad. I've no idea why he's there in the side. They say he's an all-rounder, but with the ball, he is getting smashed everywhere. Ruturaj Gaikwad has been hard done by," Badrinath said in a video on his YouTube channel.
"Why is he not there in the team and why is Nitish Kumar Reddy in the team? There is definitely some inconsistency there. The other team selections were along expected lines and are very good. The only concern is the selection of Nitish Kumar Reddy over Ruturaj Gaikwad."
Badrinath also highlighted Gaikwad's impressive performance in the series against South Africa, where he showcased his brilliance with a superb century under pressure.
"They sent him at No. 4 against South Africa because there wasn't a spot at the top, and he responded with a hundred. Following that, he's smashing runs for fun in List-A cricket at every opportunity. He has two centuries and a half-century in six innings with an overall List-A average of over 57 with 5,000 runs. No one has such a record," said Badrinath.