"Picking him now is just stupidity" - Fans erupt as Ruturaj Gaikwad is drafted into India playing XI for IND vs WI 3rd ODI

Ruturaj Gaikwad replaced Umran Malik in the India playing XI for the third ODI against West Indies (WI) to make his comeback in this format after a gap of almost 10 months. The match will be held at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on Tuesday, August 1.

For the uninitiated, Gaikwad played his lone ODI against South Africa in Lucknow in October last year. The right-handed batter scored just 19 runs on his 50-over debut. The 26-year-old will now look to make the most of the opportunity against WI.

Speaking at the toss, stand-in captain Hardik Pandya said:

“Ruturaj comes in place of Umran.”

Gaikwad was last seen in action in the Indian Premier League. The Chennai Super Kings opener amassed 590 runs in 16 games at a strike rate of 147.50, including four half-centuries as his team won the trophy.

Fans on Twitter came up with mixed reactions to Gaikwad’s inclusion in the playing XI. One tweeted:

"It's almost certain Ruturaj isnt in the ODI scheme of things till WC.. picking him now is just stupidity... smh."

Here are some of the other best Twitter reactions:

West Indies opt to bowl; Ruturaj Gaikwad and Jaydev Unadkat included in India playing XI

West Indies captain Shai Hope won the toss and opted to field first in the ODI decider against India on Tuesday. The hosts fielded an unchanged side after their five-wicket win in the second ODI.

Meanwhile, the Hardik Pandya-led side picked Jaydev Unadkat in place of Axar Patel as their second change in the playing XI other than Ruturaj Gaikwad. The left-handed pacer played his last ODI against the same team in November 2013 in Kochi.

The Men in Blue once again rested regular captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Pandya said at the toss:

“Going to the decider the boys are pumped up and looking forward to the game. Looks good (the surface), I don't think much will change, batting first gives a good opportunity for us to set a good total.”

West Indies XI: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope (w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Keacy Carty, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales.

India XI: Ishan Kishan (w), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar.

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