Ruturaj Gaikwad was surprisingly excluded from the Indian ODI squad for the series against New Zealand, despite scoring a century in his last match. This decision, which sees Shreyas Iyer return, has drawn reactions from former players like Irfan Pathan and R Ashwin. Pathan called the exclusion "mind-boggling" given Gaikwad's strong List A average and recent century, highlighting intense competition. Ashwin advised Gaikwad to persevere amidst the tough selection landscape.