Following Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, Ruturaj Gaikwad, the young Indian batsman, has been sidelined from the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. Gaikwad sustained a finger injury during the South African tour, keeping him out of cricketing action. It is anticipated that he will also be absent for the initial phase of the Test series against England.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Has Been Ruled Out Of Afghanistan T20Is
On Sunday, January 7, 2024, the selection committee announced India’s squad for the forthcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are all set to make a comeback in the T20I format with this. Notably, the were absent from the shortest international format since the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final.
Having been ruled out of the Test series against South Africa, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s potential absence from the T20I series against Afghanistan could lead to his comeback directly in the IPL 2024.
As per a report on ESPNCricinfo, Gaikwad, the leader of the Indian team that clinched the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, is grappling with a finger injury. This injury may sideline him for the initial part of the five-Test series against England, commencing in Hyderabad on 25 January.
On the other hand, SKY guided India to a 4-1 T20I series triumph over Australia post the World Cup and secured a 1-1 draw in South Africa. However, the dynamic batter suffered an ankle injury during the Men in Blue’s T20I series-leveling victory against the Proteas in Johannesburg. Surya, who notched his fourth T20I hundred in that game, is scheduled for surgery on the affected ankle, leading to an extended period of absence from the cricketing action.
SKY and Pandya are set to return to the cricketing scene in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), where they will be part of the Mumbai Indians squad. Notably, Pandya has been appointed captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, marking their reunion as teammates after three years in IPL.
These developments boosted the likelihood of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli making their T20I comeback after a hiatus of over a year.
India’s Squad For Afghanistan Series:
Rohit Sharma (C), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, W Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
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