Selectors should not waste any time in drafting Ruturaj Gaikwad in India’s Test side: Dilip Vengsarkar

Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar heaped praises on Chennai Super Kings’ opener Ruturaj Gaikwad for his stellar performance against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the recently concluded match of the IPL 2022 and said that the youngster should be drafted into the Indian Test squad.

Gaikwad, while playing at his home ground in Pune, fell short by just one run to bag a century. After putting up a brilliant stand of 182 runs with Devon Conway, Gaikwad was dismissed by T Natarajan in the 18th over. He scored 99 in just 57 balls and was named the Player of the Match as his team won by 13 runs.

Vengsarkar lauded his ability to face the SRH pacers, especially Umran Malik who scalped a five-wicket haul in the previous game. “In his earlier match, Umran had shattered the stumps of a few batters. But in this match, Ruturaj handled him upfront and with aplomb,” Vengsarkar was quoted by The Indian Express.

“The way Ruturaj played the speedster’s fast deliveries, especially the short ones, should make the selectors happy. Indian players, of late, have found pace and bounce impossible to tackle. Ruturaj was confident personified against the short ones as he stood up and played with ease. I think the selectors should not waste any time in drafting Ruturaj into India’s Test side,” he added.

Ruturaj has already proved his mettle in the shorter format of the game: Vengsarkar

Vengsarkar was impressed with the way Gaikwad placed and timed his shots. He feels that Gaikwad, who has represented India in three T20Is, has proven his worth in the shortest format of the game. The youngster had a great run in the IPL last year, as he bagged the orange cap for scoring the most runs in the season, and continued his form even in the domestic circuit as well.

“I am glad that it was a match-winning knock. Also important is the fact that he played proper cricketing shots. There was no awkwardness or desperate hitting or cross-batted heaves. Ruturaj plays with a straight bat. He has already proved his mettle in the shorter format of the game. I am confident he will be successful both in Tests and one-dayers. He looks suitable for the Test side,” Vengsarkar further added.

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