Srikkanth accuses BCCI of 'favouritism' in hot-headed rant over Ruturaj Gaikwad snub from T20 World Cup, namedrops Gill

Ruturaj Gaikwad's half-century on Wednesday saw him move to pole position in the IPL 2024 Orange Cap race, overtaking Virat Kohli. The Chennai Super Kings captain smacked 62 runs off 48 balls, packed with five fours and two sixes. He leads the Orange Cap race with 509 runs in 10 matches, at a strike rate of 146.68. He has also bagged a ton and four half-centuries.

Among Indian openers, he has more runs than Shubman Gill (320), Rohit Sharma (315) and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, Gaikwad failed to make it to the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup, and the CSK skipper also failed to find a place in the four-member reserve list. While Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Virat Kohli have been picked for the top-order, Shubman Gill has been in the reserves among top-order batters.

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Speaking on his Youtube channel, India legend Krishnamachari Srikkanth lashed out at the BCCI for their decision to snub Gaikwad. He pointed out Gill's poor form and also accused the selection committee of 'favoritism'.

"Shubman Gill is totally out of form, but why he's selected in the team. There's no doubt that Ruturaj Gaikwad deserves a place. He scored more than 500 runs in 17 innings. Also he scored a century against Australia. Shubman Gill is selectors' delight. He gets chance even if he fails. He finds place even if he fails in Test, ODIs and T20s.There's too much of favoritism in selection. The team selection is all about favoritism," he said.

Another notable exclusion has been KL Rahul, who was India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batter at the 2023 ODI World Cup. Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer has also missed out on a spot. Shivam Dube's swashbuckling form with the bat this year has also seen him get selected for the tournament. Riyan Parag has been ignored, but his Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has been included in the squad.

Gaikwad will be lamenting on missing out on a ticket to the ICC showpiece event. The opener has shown immense maturity after MS Dhoni handed over CSK's captaincy to him on the eve of IPL 2024. CSK are currently fourth in the standings and will be hoping to qualify for the playoffs.