India’s batting lineup will miss the services of Ruturaj Gaikwad in the upcoming Test series against South Africa, scheduled to commence on December 26. Gaikwad, who sustained a finger injury while attempting a catch in the second ODI against South Africa, has been officially ruled out of the Test series.
A source quoted by PTI confirmed Gaikwad’s absence, stating, “Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the two-Test series with a ring finger fracture.” The injury occurred during the ODI series, where Gaikwad managed to score just nine runs in two innings.
Making his debut in a T20I against Sri Lanka in July 2021, Gaikwad quickly established himself in the limited-overs formats. His ODI debut came a year later, in October 2022, against South Africa. In his short international career, Gaikwad has played six ODIs and 19 T20Is. In ODIs, he has scored 106 runs with a top score of 71, while in T20Is, he has amassed an impressive 500 runs, including a remarkable century with a high score of 123*.
One of the highlights of Gaikwad’s career was becoming the ninth Indian batter to score a T20I century, achieving this milestone against Australia. His century stands as the second-highest score by an Indian in T20Is and the highest by any player against Australia in the format.
Beyond his batting prowess, Gaikwad’s leadership skills were recognized when he captained the Indian team to a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games. This achievement marked him as the first Indian captain in men’s cricket at the Asian Games to secure a gold medal.
