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Ruturaj Gaikwad, with IND vs SA 2nd ODI on December 3rd, made his return to India’s ODI playing XI for the first time since December 2023.

In the series opener against South Africa, he couldn’t make an impact and managed only 8 runs. But in the second ODI in Raipur, he produced a superb knock of 105 off 83 balls - the first century of his ODI career.

Despite this memorable innings, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s spot in the XI remains far from guaranteed, and the reason may surprise many fans.

When India announced the ODI squad for South Africa, both captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer were unavailable.

With Shubman Gill injured, Yashasvi Jaiswal was promoted to open, while Shreyas Iyer’s No. 4 spot became vacant. That opened the door for Gaikwad to play both matches of the series. However, once Shreyas Iyer returns, Gaikwad is expected to lose his place in the XI.

India’s top five batting slots - Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul - are firmly occupied.

The No. 6 position is the only specialist batting spot available, but that too is difficult to grab with Washington Sundar getting regular chances and Ravindra Jadeja already part of the setup. This leaves Gaikwad with almost no opening.

Also, if Hardik Pandya - India's top all-rounder in white-ball cricket - is considered for the ODI team, it becomes almost impossible for Gaikwad to be considered in playing XI.

Considering the current team combination, Gaikwad's brilliant 105 in Raipur may still not secure him a permanent place. Once Shreyas Iyer returns from injury, Gaikwad is likely to make way, despite his maiden ODI century.

Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed his first-ever ODI century as India piled up a commanding total of 358/5.

The innings didn’t start smoothly - India were reduced to 62/2 after early dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. But Virat Kohli and Gaikwad turned the game around brilliantly, stitching together a massive 195-run partnership for the third wicket. Gaikwad went on to score 105, while Kohli anchored the innings with a superb 102.