Here's why Ruturaj Gaikwad didn't come out to bat in 1st T20I against Ireland

The new Indian team has started with a promising win over Ireland under the leadership of Hardik Pandya. It was Hardik's captaincy debut, and India won the first T20I at Dublin by seven wickets. Everything ended in favour of the Men in Blue, and they won the match comprehensively.

However, one thing that came as a surprise was the opening pair for India. Ishan Kishan opened the innings with Deepak Hooda, instead of regular opener Ruturaj Gaikwad. Everyone was surprised to see that move, but at the end of the match, the skipper clarified the reason for sending Hooda to open.

Hardik revealed that the opener had a niggle in his calf and was feeling a bit stiff. He added that they could have sent him to bat, but it was not the right decision as the player's health is the first priority. The skipper further said that he was not okay with the decision of sending him to bat and they were confident that they could manage the task. 

Hardik stated that it was not a hard decision to take. He concluded, "We all went up one spot, and it wasn't a big headache. We wanted to make sure we weren't taking any chances with Rutu."

On the other hand, Hooda played a really good innings and remained unbeaten till the very end. He scored 47 runs off 29, including six boundaries and two maximums. He added a 64-run partnership with the skipper for the third wicket and helped his team get over the line.

In the end, he ended the innings with a boundary to seal the deal for the team. But it will be interesting to see whether Ruturaj Gaikwad will play the next match or not. Notably, Umran Malik also got his maiden cap in the first match. However, he just bowled one over in a 12-over game but will look to contribute more in the next game.