"Ruturaj Gaikwad is not for international cricket" - Twitterati react as India opener's low scores continue in 2nd T20I vs SA

Team India opener Ruturaj Gaikwad's poor form in international cricket continued in the second T20I against South Africa on Sunday, June 12 at the Barabati Stadium. He got out cheaply, scoring only one run from four deliveries.

The Proteas opted to bowl first after winning the toss in Cuttack. Gaikwad, who opened the innings alongside Ishan Kishan, looked a bit shaky in the first couple of deliveries. He eventually pushed at an away ball bowled by Kagiso Rabada to give Keshav Maharaj an easy catch.

It was a loose drive from Gaikwad, playing away from his body and it went straight to the point fielder, who completed an easy catch.

The Proteas camp was joyous, while Gaikwad looked disappointed after throwing away another golden opportunity in the absence of first-choice cricketers.

Fans were also not happy with the 25-year-old's dismal form as he failed to replicate his IPL form on the international circuit.

Overall, Gaikwad has represented India in five T20Is, scoring only 63 runs at an average of 12.60. His highest score of 23 came in the last game against South Africa in Delhi on June 9 as the hosts lost by seven wickets.

Ishan Kishan gives India a swashbuckling start

The southpaw, who was India's highest run-scorer in the first T20I (76 of 48), went all guns blazing in the second game.

Ishan cut loose in the fourth over, taking on Anrich Nortje. He scored 13 runs off that over, including two sixes before hitting a couple more boundaries to provide an early impetus to the innings.

However, just when it looked like Ishan Kishan would produce another batting masterclass, he holed out to deep square leg. He tried to dispatch Nortje for another maximum but failed to do so.

With Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya in the middle, the Men in Blue will want them to forge a big partnership as the hosts look to post a daunting target.

About the author

Ankush is a cricket journalist at Sportskeeda covering news, listicles, features, and exclusives. A graduate in Commerce and an accountant by qualification, Ankush followed his true calling for sports journalism, and today, has over 8 years of experience having working for the likes of Sportzwiki and Cricfit. Ankush places a very high emphasis on factual accuracy in his articles and believes in representing the true image of the story. Writing in the simplest and most easy-to-understand language possible, especially for those not well-versed with English, is one of his strengths.

Ankush, who captained his state in the National School games, is a big fan of Ravichandran Ashwin. He admires his unconventional thinking and his eagerness to keep learning despite being a legend of the game. His favorite cricket team is Australia because of their mentality and fighting spirit, and them beating India in the 2003 World Cup final left a lasting impression on him.

Apart from watching and covering cricket, Ankush also likes to read books whenever possible.

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