Yorkshire have been dealt a setback after Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad pulled out of his maiden county stint due to personal reasons. The 28-year-old was expected to join the squad ahead of their next County Championship clash against defending champions Surrey, but will now miss the remainder of the season.
Gaikwad had signed with Yorkshire to feature in the final Championship matches as well as the One-Day Cup, marking his first foray into English county cricket. The club, currently placed 8th on the Championship table, is now scrambling to find a replacement.
“Unfortunately, Gaikwad’s not coming now for personal reasons,” head coach Anthony McGrath confirmed. “We’re not going to have him for Scarborough or the rest of the season, which is disappointing. I can’t share the reasons, but we hope everything is okay.”
McGrath added that Yorkshire were only recently informed of Gaikwad’s withdrawal.
“We’re working behind the scenes on what we can do. But with only two or three days left, time is the big challenge.”
Gaikwad has not played competitive cricket in over three months following an elbow injury sustained during the IPL, which forced him to miss the remainder of the tournament. Though he recovered and was named in the India A squad for the ongoing four-day games in England, he hasn’t featured in any matches.
