Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad had a dream run in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy. The opening batter led from the front as Maharashtra made it to the final of the domestic tournament against Saurashtra but could not cross the last hurdle.

Gaikwad scored 660 runs in six matches at an average of 220 and a strike rate of 113.60 in the competition. The stylish right-hander finished as the second-highest run-getter of the tournament. The youngster scored four centuries and he was awarded the Player of the tournament.

However, as Gaikwad plays at the top of the order as an opener, he is competing for the spot with experienced players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, and even Rishabh Pant, who is getting a few chances as an opener.

Thus, it is difficult for Gaikwad to break into India’s limited-overs team despite performing consistently at the domestic circuit.

“Since he (Gaikwad) is from India, whom will he replace? Not even replace but look at whom he is competing with. Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and we have Rishabh Pant opening as well,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

He added, “India is becoming a difficult country to genuinely play cricket. I mean, competition for one spot is heating up. And Ruturaj is not heating it up; he has taken the solar panel on his head and scored runs for fun. Amazing, very well done, Ruturaj Gaikwad.”

“I am sure all the CSK fans are super happy. It will be a matter of time before Ruturaj Gaikwad sets the world stage on fire,” said Ashwin.

India has a lot of talent and there is bereft of consistent performances in the domestic circuit. Gaikwad is doing a good job by knocking at the selection doors with his outstanding performances.

Meanwhile, India is currently taking on Bangladesh in three-match ODI series. Shikhar Dhawan and captain Rohit Sharma opened the innings for the team in the first ODI on Sunday.