Ruturaj Gaikwad targets India return for 2027 World Cup

Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad has emphasised focusing on the present rather than looking too far ahead to his return to Team India for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027.

Speaking at an event in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, the Chennai Super Kings captain, who has played nine ODIs and 23 T20Is for India, said he was concentrating on following his process and enjoying each day. He stated, “That is too far (the World Cup). I am looking forward for today. World Cup is next year. It is, I mean, just like a normal human being, it is just about going in and about each and every day. There are a lot of various tournaments that happen in a span of one year.”

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He added, “Ranji Trophy, then domestic, international, IPL, a lot of things. So, if I just put all things around and sit down and answer about everything now, it will be very tough. But it is just about staying in the present, following the process. And just looking to enjoy whatever time I will be there.”

Ruturaj last appeared for India during the South

Ruturaj last appeared for India during the South Africa home series in December last year, where he scored his maiden ODI century. Across nine ODIs and eight innings, he has amassed 228 runs at an average of 28.50 with a strike rate of nearly 90, including one century and one fifty. In T20Is, he has scored 633 runs in 23 matches and 20 innings, averaging 39.56 with a strike rate of 143.53, comprising one century and four fifties.

In the 2026 Indian Premier League, Ruturaj had a subdued season for Chennai Super Kings, accumulating 337 runs in 14 innings at an average of 28.08 and a strike rate of 123.44, including two fifties and a highest score of 74 not out.

Recently, he played in the Duleep Trophy, India’s premier domestic red-ball tournament, scoring 5 and 66 for West Zone in their quarterfinal defeat to North Zone. Prior to that, he featured on the India A tour of Sri Lanka in the red-ball format, where he scored 13, 22 not out and 1 across two first-class matches.

Earlier in the year, during a white-ball tri-nation series involving Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A in June, he was the third-highest run-scorer, accumulating 274 runs in five innings, which included a century and a fifty.

Source: thenewsmill.com