'See Silver Linings': 2007 T20 WC Winner Advises Ruturaj Gaikwad To Keep The Fight Alive After Shocking Snub From India's ODI Team

Selection policy or rejection policy? This is something that has become a matter of huge debate in Indian cricket. India have had a few injury issues over the past few months, but fans and experts of the game have given mixed reactions to India's ODI squad that has been picked up for the New Zealand series. India will host New Zealand for eight white-ball games, three ODIs and five T20Is.

The ODI series will be played prior to the five T20Is. The first game of the series will be played at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. Skipper Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer will return to international ODIs, but it is Ruturaj Gaikwad's snub that continues to be the biggest talking point.

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Robin Uthappa Speaks On Ruturaj Gaikwad's Omission

Shreyas Iyer, who was recovering from a spleen injury, will play the three-match ODI series, but he is still subject to fitness. The Chennai Super Kings skipper scored a century in the recently concluded India vs South Africa series, but he has still been left out. What comes across as a surprise is the fact that Gaikwad could've been easily used as a backup option for Iyer, who is still subject to fitness.

Ex-India player and the winner of the 2007 T20 World Cup Robin Uthappa said that it is a tough process for Ruturaj Gaikwad and he needs to stay positive in order to deal with setbacks.

"One of the challenges with Indian cricket is that you’re constantly operating on survival mode. You’ve to find a way to keep fighting, keep fighting, keep fighting, especially if you don’t come from one of three big states in India, which is Mumbai, Delhi, and Punjab," Robin Uthappa said while speaking on his YouTube channel.

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Dissecting Ruturaj Gaikwad's ODI Numbers

Ruturaj Gaikwad has played 9 One Day games for India and has scored over 200 runs at an average of 28.5. Gaikwad has also scored one fifty and one hundred in his short one-day international career.