'Need relationships with actresses': Ex-CSK star's outrageous claim after Ruturaj Gaikwad's snub for SL tour

Written By Chankesh Rao | Updated: Jul 21, 2024, 03:42 PM IST

Courtesy: X @BCCI

Ruturaj was not included in India's T20I squad for the Sri Lanka tour.

The abundance of talent within Indian cricket often presents challenges for players seeking to secure a consistent place in the national team. Recently, Rinku Singh found himself sidelined during the T20 World Cup 2024, while Ruturaj Gaikwad was left out of the team for the tour of Sri Lanka. Despite their undeniable skills, neither player has committed any errors warranting their exclusion. Rather, it is the team's composition and the selectors' preferences for certain player types that led to their omission from various assignments. However, not everyone is pleased with these selection decisions, as former India and Chennai Super Kings batsman S Badrinath has expressed criticism regarding the matter.

Badrinath recently took to social media to share a video in which he expressed his surprise and disappointment at the selection committee's decision to not include Gaikwad in the team for the Sri Lanka series. In the video, Badrinath launched a critique of the committee's decision, highlighting Gaikwad's impressive performances and questioning the rationale behind his exclusion.

It was evident from Badrinath's comments in the video that he was displeased with the committee's choice to overlook Gaikwad, who is currently the captain of Badrinath's former franchise. Despite Gaikwad's consistent and outstanding performances, the decision to exclude him from the team left Badrinath and many others baffled.

He suggested that players may need to cultivate relationships with specific Bollywood actresses and adorn their bodies with tattoos in order to increase their chances of being selected consistently.

"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.

Ruturaj was a key player in the Indian team during the Zimbabwe T20Is, showcasing his talent with scores of 7, 77, and 49. His impressive performance led to him being rested for the 5th T20I, as India had already secured the series victory. Despite his contributions, Ruturaj was not included in India's T20I squad for the Sri Lanka tour. The selectors opted for Yashasvi Jaiswal, with the return of experienced players like Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant. 

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