Not Dropped! Here's Why Ruturaj Gaikwad Is Not Playing Second T20I Against South Africa

Ruturaj Gaikwad will miss the second T20I against South Africa. The match between the two teams will be played at St. George's Park, Giberaha. It will be an important match for both the teams as the first game was washed out due to rain. South Africa won the toss and elected to field first. With the lineups of both the teams out, what caught the attention of many was the absence of Ruturaj Gaekwad's name in the Indian XI, especially after his feat in the recently concluded T20I series against Australia.

Ruturaj Gaikwad's name not being in the XI raised some eyebrows. However, the reason for not playing the second T20I against South Africa has emerged. According to BCCI, it has been learned that the batsman is not feeling well and is ill.

Ruturaj Gaikwad was unavailable for selection due to illness and Shubman Gill has been drafted into the XI in his place. The right-hander was not part of the Australia series and this will be a great opportunity for him to strengthen his case for the T20 World Cup 2024.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav said on the toss: “Very happy to be here and glad to know cricket is around. We were confused what to do, but now we are very happy to bat first. It is an opportunity for everyone who plays this game. The World Cup is still 5-6 months away. Just enjoy yourself is the message for the team.

IND vs SA: India and South Africa play by 11 runs for second T20I in Ruturaj Gaikwad's absence
India went with a combination of three fast bowlers and two spinners. He has also played Tilak Verma ahead of Shreyas Iyer in the XI.

The Indian XI for this game is:

Yashshwi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (W), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar

South Africa, on the other hand, have only played one spinner in Tabrez Shamsi. Here's the XI for the second T20I against India:

Matthew Bretzke, Riza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Henrik Klaasen(w), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jensen, Andile Fehlukwayo, Gerald Coetzee, Lizad Williams, Tabrez Shamsi