'You need a bad guy image': Badrinath questions Ruturaj Gaikwad's absence from Sri Lanka tour

Former India cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath has expressed unhappiness over the omission of batter Ruturaj Gaikwad from the India T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. Gaikwad recently featured in the T20I series against Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe recently, registering scores of 7, 77* and 49 in the first three matches. He did not get to bat in the fourth match and was omitted from the playing XI for the fifth match.

Badrinath said that cricketers needed to be “in relationships with Bollywood actresses” and have body tattoos in order to be picked in the India squad, seemingly taking a dig at the BCCI selectors.

More from First Cricket News

Zaheer Khan meets Rohit Sharma amid reports of leaving LSG ahead of IPL 2026 Morris predicts bidding frenzy for Markram, Maphaka, and Brevis at SA20 Auction: 'It will be interesting to see'

“Sometimes it seems like you need a bad guy image when the likes of Rinku Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and others are not selected for the Indian team. It seems that you need to be in a relationship with some Bollywood actresses, have a good media manager, and have body tattoos,” Badrinath said on his show Cric Debate With Badri.

Shocked and surprised not to see Ruturaj Gaikwad in the Indian Team for both T20I and ODIs.

My Thoughts 🎥🔗 https://t.co/EBKnryFSUM#INDvSL #CricItWithBadri pic.twitter.com/OilIH1J4CB

— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) July 20, 2024

Impact Shorts

View All

'Won't require surgery...': Real reason behind Jasprit Bumrah's absence from 5th Test revealed in new report

PCB bans players from WCL over India-Pakistan match controversy

Apart from Gaikwad, all-rounder Abhishek Sharma and pacer Mukesh Kumar were also dropped from the squad for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Abhishek had scored a 46-ball century in the second T20I against Zimbabwe whereas Mukesh picked eight wickets from three matches. Gaikwad has thus far scored 115 runs from six ODIs and 633 runs from 23 T20Is for India.

Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20 internationals, the selectors announced Suryakumar Yadav as the India T20I captain for the series against Sri Lanka. Suryakumar Yadav was chosen over all-rounder Hardik Pandya to lead the side.

The first of the three T20Is in Pallekele will be played on 27 July. The second and third matches will take place on 28 July and 30 July. The ODIs, scheduled for 2, 4 and 7 August, will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This will be Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as the head coach of the Indian cricket team.