Ruturaj Gaikwad was “supposed” to play in the first T20I versus Sri Lanka on Thursday, Rohit Sharma said at the toss. However, the skipper revealed, Gaikwad had sustained a wrist injury and hence was rendered unavailable for the first T20I of the series at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
India made a wholesale of changes – as many as six – from their last T20I against West Indies with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja coming in from rest. Sanju Samson also returned to the side for the first time since July last year while Deepak Hooda made his T20I debut.
Orange Cap winner of IPL 2021, Gaikwad featured in the third T20I versus West Indies, on Sunday in Kolkata, where he scored 4 runs off 8 balls while opening. Ruturaj would have played against Sri Lanka instead of either Samson or Hooda had he been fit. The wrist injury was having an impact on his batting in the nets hence.
The BCCI gave an update on Gaikwad’s wrist issue: “Ruturaj Gaikwad complained of pain in his right wrist, which is affecting his batting. He was unavailable for selection for the first T20I. The BCCI Medical Team is examining him.”
UPDATE – Ruturaj Gaikwad complained of pain in his right wrist, which is affecting his batting. He was unavailable for selection for the first T20I. The BCCI Medical Team is examining him.@Paytm #INDvSL
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 24, 2022
Gaikwad was coming off a thunderous Vijay Hazare Trophy in which he scored 603 runs in 5 matches – smashing 4 centuries and averaging a mammoth 150 in the tournament. It remains to be seen when does the Maharashtra batsman gets his next opportunity to play for India.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss in Lucknow and elected to bowl first. Sri Lanka are coming off a 4-1 hammering from Australia. They are without their star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who had tested positive for covid-19 in Australia and is currently quarantining in Melbourne.
Playing XIs of both teams:
India: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Charith Asalanka, Dinesh Chandimal(w), Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka(c), Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara
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