“One of the challenges with Indian cricket is that you’re constantly operating in survival mode” - Robin Uthappa on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s omission from ODIs

Robin Uthappa has questioned Ruturaj Gaikwad’s ODI snub, saying Indian cricket often forces players into “survival mode”, where one or two low scores can cost them their place instead of receiving the backing needed to settle into a role.

08 Jan 2026 14:50 IST

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Former Indian keeper-batter Robin Uthappa has opened up on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s exclusion from the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting on Sunday, January 11, in Vadodara.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Uthappa has stated that the biggest challenge in Indian cricket is that the players are constantly operating in survival mode, adding that it takes an immense amount of resilience and self-talk to switch from that mindset.

“It’s very hard to process. You have to make it make sense, right? It takes a toll, and you need to almost kind of find silver linings to kind of lean back on. In these circumstances, it’s not the easiest thing to do. It’s hectic, and you’ve to find a way to see silver linings. One of the challenges with Indian cricket is that you’re constantly operating on survival mode. And to switch from that mindset, it takes an immense amount of resilience, immense amount of self-talk and positive self-talk, and you’ve to be able to be a silver linings guy," Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.

For the unversed, Gaikwad failed to make enough opportunities after making his ODI debut in 2022. He has amassed 228 runs at an average of 28.50 in nine games, including a fifty and a century.

“And you’ve to find a way to keep fighting, keep fighting, keep fighting, especially if you don’t come from one of three big states in India, which is Mumbai, Delhi, and Punjab. If you’re not from one of those states, then you’ve to keep pushing yourself, pushing yourself," he added.

India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.

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