Ruturaj out of New Zealand T20 due to injury

Mumbai (Uttam Hindu News): Opening batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the Indian team for the three-match T20I series against New Zealand starting on Friday due to a wrist injury.

Cricbuzz quoted sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as saying that Ruturaj was tested at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to ascertain the severity of the injury, after which he was declared unfit for the upcoming T20 series. Gaikwad last played a Ranji Trophy match for Maharashtra against Hyderabad where he scored eight runs in the first innings and zero in the second. He later informed the BCCI about the condition of his wrist. This is the second time that Gaikwad has had a wrist problem. He missed the T20I series against Sri Lanka last year due to a similar injury. He was also ruled out of the home ODI series against the West Indies last year after testing positive for Covid.

Due to Gaikwad being unfit, the possibility of Prithvi Shaw’s return to the Indian team has increased. Meanwhile, the BCCI will decide on Ravindra Jadeja’s future on February 1 for the Border-Gavaskar series. The future of Jadeja, who is leading Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy in Chennai after recovering from a knee injury, will depend on his performance against Tamil Nadu.