Team India, after a long time, is not playing international cricket for a month. They last featured in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia that ended on June 11 and will be next in action on July 12 in the first Test against West Indies. While several India players are enjoying this much-needed break, a few players are featuring in the local T20 leagues and staking their claim to get picked in the Indian team.
Two of those players are Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan. Both the cricketers are currently playing in the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) and Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) respectively. Interestingly, they also played in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) last month between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. While Ruturaj ended with a mammoth 590 runs opening the innings for CSK, the youngster hasn't rested up even then.
Playing for Puneri Bappa, Ruturaj has returned with scores of 64 (27), 29* (18) and 50 (23) in three matches. Interestingly, his last two knocks of 29* and 50 have come while batting at five and six respectively. With the squad announcement for India's West Indies tour only a week away, Ruturaj's current form bodes well for him to get selected in the T20 squad.
On the other hand, Sai Sudharsan who played for Gujarat Titans in the final is also in sensational form. He ended IPL 2023 with 362 runs in just 8 matches at an average of over 50 and a strike rate of more than 140. The left-hander also smashed an impressive 96 off 47 deliveries in the final against CSK. Playing for Lyca Kovai Kings, Sudharsan has stunned many with his consistency. His scores in the last three matches of the tournament read - 86 (45), 90 (52), 64* (43).
This amazing run of form from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sudharsan is unlikely to go unnoticed and there is every possibility of these two players getting a chance in India's T20I squad for the West Indies series.
