'What happened to Ruturaj Gaikwad': Fans react to Tilak Varma being considered as back-up option in India middle-order for 2027 ODI World Cup originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:- India's team management is reportedly considering Tilak Varma as a backup middle-order option ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
- Selectors want a left-handed batter capable of bowling four overs, addressing a gap in bowling options up top.
- Fans reacted angrily online, questioning why Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored a century at No. 4, has been overlooked.
India's planning for next year's ODI World Cup has already sparked a fresh wave of debate, with Tilak Varma reportedly emerging as a potential backup option for the middle order.
It is a decision that's left plenty of fans questioning why Ruturaj Gaikwad seems to have fallen down the pecking order.
According to TOI, Tilak's name has surfaced as a possible cover option for Shreyas Iyer within the top six. Being a left-hander, he's seen as someone who can break up the right-hand heavy composition of India's current batting order.
He's also reportedly been asked to sharpen his off-spin bowling, with the team management viewing his part-time overs as useful, particularly given the growing concerns about a lack of bowling depth.
A BCCI source to TOI explained the thinking behind this shift in focus: “Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill feel there isn’t any backup ready for the middle order.
"With Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy being prone to injuries, they want someone in the top order who can at least chip in with four overs in an ODI."
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Why does India need younger backups in the middle order?India's dependence on Washington Sundar or Axar Patel to balance the side at five or six over the past year has highlighted this gap clearly. During the recent England series, Ishan Kishan was even promoted ahead of vice-captain Iyer, which is another sign of the team searching for solutions.
The source elaborated further on why this planning has been done and thereby pointed to South Africa's demanding conditions and India's ageing core.
“The team has to be prepared for conditions in South Africa in the World Cup. Iyer got injured in Australia and his game against pace and bounce is untested of late," the source said.
"The team already has two ageing players in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They are having niggles as well. KL Rahul too will be over 35 by the time the World Cup comes around. Ravindra Jadeja isn’t a certainty either. The fielding of the team has suffered due to fitness issues. The team management feels that they need younger backups ready."
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What has happened to Ruturaj Gaikwad's ODI prospects?Interestingly, selectors have reportedly grown wary of playing batters out of position. It is a stance that seems to directly affect Gaikwad's standing.
He was previously used at No. 4 last year, and he scored a century against South Africa in Raipur to prove his worth. However, he hasn't yet featured in the ODI setup since that innings.
The source further explained: "Gaikwad was picked as backup opener since Gill was injured. The team management feels Tilak could have been tried in that place. That's why they don't want to rush Devdutt Padikkal in the ODI setup because he found his calling in white-ball cricket while opening the batting."
For the upcoming West Indies series, though, selectors are said to be prioritising a backup wicketkeeper instead.
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How have fans reacted to Gaikwad's exclusion?The reaction online has been fiery, with many fans struggling to understand the logic behind overlooking a player who delivered exactly when asked.
User @AKCricTalks didn't hold back, writing that Gaikwad had been "ruthlessly sacrificed" despite proving his worth with a century as Iyer's designated backup.
So, what happened to Ruturaj Gaikwad?🤔
🎯It seems Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar are now determined to ruin ODI cricket for India as well. ODIs are arguably the only format where India boasts a completely settled, high-performing squad. Yet, the team management has an… https://t.co/OO11jGIJJ5pic.twitter.com/SYfneOz3PN
Others drew comparisons to past selection decisions and @pratyush_no7 pointed to India's 2019 World Cup squad. He argued that history was repeating itself by prioritising a batter's secondary skill, bowling, over middle-order proficiency.
🚨 HISTORY IS REPEATING ITSELF 🚨
In 2019 Vijay was tagged as a 3D player and taken to WC in England. India needed a specialist middle order batter but team went with someone who can roll his arms. They focused on the added skill rather than the main one.
Now the same is being… pic.twitter.com/X1I29oeb8v
User @context313 questioned the reasoning even more directly, asking why left-handedness alone should outweigh Gaikwad's actual scoring record at No. 4.
Ruturaj Gaikwad last ODI innings was a hundred, that too at No. 4 He is an opener, yet whenever he has been given an opportunity, he has scored runs. By that logic Ruturaj should be considered as a backup for both Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli in the ODI team.
But instead, Tilak… pic.twitter.com/9YSCMpi2ra
Meanwhile, @King__Ro45 further added: "Sorry, but why does the BCCI keep sending Ruturaj Gaikwad with the India A team when they keep selecting players based on IPL or T20I performances??"
Ruturaj Gaikwad last ODI innings was a hundred, that too at No. 4 He is an opener, yet whenever he has been given an opportunity, he has scored runs. By that logic Ruturaj should be considered as a backup for both Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli in the ODI team.
But instead, Tilak… pic.twitter.com/9YSCMpi2ra
@Cricket_live247 raised broader concerns about selection consistency, with the latter also flagging Rishabh Pant's reduced ODI opportunities as part of the same puzzling pattern.
"Why is suddenly no one talking about Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rishabh Pant in ODIs? Ruturaj Gaikwad was part of the Indian ODI setup just a few series ago. He scored a century, performed brilliantly, and even batted at No. 4. So why isn’t he being considered as a replacement for Shreyas Iyer?," he asked.
"And what about Rishabh Pant? He has been a regular part of the ODI squad, but he has suddenly been dropped without being given enough opportunities in ODIs. Why isn’t Rishabh Pant being considered as a backup option?"
Why is suddenly no one talking about Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rishabh Pant in ODIs? 👀
Ruturaj Gaikwad was part of the Indian ODI setup just a few series ago. He scored a century, performed brilliantly, and even batted at No. 4. So why isn’t he being considered as a replacement for… pic.twitter.com/7ZAdKIxqI8
The decision between building tactical flexibility and simply picking the best available batter is on the plate, and India's selectors appear to be leaning firmly toward the former.
Gaikwad's century at No. 4 wasn't a fluke performance in a dead rubber. It was exactly the kind of statement innings a backup batter is supposed to deliver when given a genuine chance.
Overlooking that in favour of a player whose primary value lies in bowling utility does raise legitimate questions about what selectors are actually prioritising heading into a World Cup.
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The real issue is transparency. If Tilak is being groomed as a bowling all-rounder rather than a pure batting backup, selectors should say so clearly rather than letting fans assume it's a straightforward middle-order swap. Right now, the messaging feels muddled, and that's exactly why frustration around Gaikwad's exclusion has grown so loud.
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