Why is Ruturaj Gaikwad not playing today's India vs Zimbabwe 5th T20I?
Team India's top order batter Ruturaj Gaikwad won't be seen in action in the fifth and final T20I of the side's ongoing series against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Sunday, July 14.
The Men in Blue have already won the series, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead with their comprehensive 10-wicket victory in the fourth encounter. The visitors made two changes to their playing XI for the dead rubber, with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Khaleel Ahmed making way for Riyan Parag and Mukesh Kumar.
Zimbabwe won the toss in the fifth T20I and elected to field first. Speaking at the toss, Indian captain Shubman Gill seemed happy with the decision, stating that the side were anyway looking to bat first.
Gill said:
"We were looking to bat first anyway. Our spinners have bowled well and the fast bowlers have been economical. The players have been hungry. It's not easy to play back-to-back matches. Couple of changes. Mukesh Kumar and Parag come in."
With Ruturaj Gaikwad out of the playing XI for the fifth T20I, Riyan Parag has another opportunity to prove his worth after a disappointing debut outing.
Ruturaj Gaikwad looked in impressive form in the India vs Zimbabwe T20I series
Ruturaj Gaikwad, who plays as an opener for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), was asked to bat at No. 3 in India's lineup for the ongoing Zimbabwe series.
The right-handed batter failed to get going in the opening encounter, perishing after scoring just seven runs off nine deliveries. However, he made amends in the subsequent fixture, notching up a fine half-century.
Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 77 runs in 47 balls as India registered a massive 234-run total. He was the team's second-highest run-scorer in the match, with Abhishek Sharma being the top performer with a 100-run knock.
With Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, and Yashasvi Jaiswal available from third T20I, Gaikwad was moved down to the No. 4 spot in the batting order. Despite the change in position, he played an impressive knock, scoring 49 runs off 28 balls.
Gaikwad did not get to bat in the fourth contest as India completed a 10-wicket win. He finished the series with 133 runs across three innings at an average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 158.33.