Robin Uthappa on Ruturaj Gaikwad: ‘In Indian cricket, it is important to strike when the iron is hot’

Ruturaj Gaikwad of India raises his bat after scoring a hundred during the 2nd ODI match between India and South Africa at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur, India, on December 3, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)

Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a sublime ton in the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur. His rotation of strike through the middle overs, picking and choosing when to attack, was quite sound. However, the 28-year-old has not been picked up in the squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa noted that Gaikwad tends to lose his form at times.

“I have noticed one thing with Ruturaj. At the right time, he loses his form a bit. In Indian cricket, it is important to strike when the iron is hot. His time came two to three times and his form got slightly off. So for the form to stay, to get the opportunities at the right time, it has to sit properly,” he said on his YouTube channel.

Former Indian cricketer R Ashwin opined that India could have picked Ruturaj Gaikwad over Rishabh Pant. “Could Gaikwad have been kept in the squad? I think that was a real possibility. The only spot of contention is between Pant and Gaikwad. It was a straight decision. Shreyas Iyer deserved to come back after the injury, so no discussion there. It is his rightful position. The debate is over who goes out. Between a second wicketkeeper and a batter, you can get a keeper from anywhere to cover,” he said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.

“Who will keep a track on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s mindset now? At four or five, I am sticking my neck out, his batting against spin and ability to run between wickets and close out an innings is phenomenal. I personally don’t think Pant can bat in the middle-order in white-ball cricket at the moment. I think he is a top-three batter,” he added.

“Ruturaj will get a long rope only when Rohit and Kohli decide to hang up their boots. Till then, getting a long run for him is going to be hard,” he said.