Ruturaj Gaikwad has had some fine mentors right from the time he picked up a cricket bat and started hitting balls. From his childhood coaches at the Vengsarkar academy to supportive teammates, the 24-year-old has had the right people around him, telling the right things.
For many youngsters, working with ‘mentor’ Rahul Dravid and a couple of Indian Premier League seasons under MS Dhoni’s captaincy remains only a dream. But Ruturaj has had the privilege of sharing the dressing room with two of the most celebrated cricketing minds.
Speaking to indiatoday.in, Ruturaj Gaikwad said he wasn’t expecting an India call-up at 24 but the youngster has been showing he is ready for the big leap.
Two years after making India A debut, Ruturaj Gaikwad has got his maiden India call-up. The Maharashtra batsman is one of the six uncapped players who have been picked in the 20-man squad for limited-overs series in the island nation in July.
Ruturaj Gaikwad scored plenty of runs in the domestic circuit and on A tours before that breakthrough IPL season in 2020. He scored 677 runs at an average of 112.83 in a productive summer with India A after beginning his stint with a nought in 2019. Runs in domestic List A cricket has been a constant for the Maharashtra batsman.
