Ruturaj Gaikwad Set To Make A Comeback During England Tests

image-lr6296axRuturaj Gaikwad (Twitter)

Ruturaj Gaikwad continues to recover from his ring finger injury and might be available for selection for the later part of the upcoming five-match Test series at home against England, according to a report in the Times of India.

The elegant Maharashtra right-hander picked up the injury while fielding in slips during the ODI series played on the tour of South Africa. He was subsequently ruled out of the two-match Test series against the hosts and couldn't also take part in his state's first-round Ranji Trophy 2024 fixture.

Gaikwad was a key name missing for Maharashtra in the opening game versus Manipur on January 4-8. Identified as an all-format player with a great future ahead of him, the 26-year-old would've also been picked for India A's upcoming matches against the visiting England Lions if not for his injury. 

The CSK star, however, looks set to make his India return in the Test squad ahead of the third match of the much-anticipated England series in Rajkot on February 15.


Gaikwad To Comeback Via England Series 

"Ruturaj is recovering at the National Cricket Academy, and should be fit after a week or 10 days. He will subsequently be available for Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy," a source privy to the developments told Times of India."He is likely to be available for selection after the second Test of the series.

Gaikwad's initial absence for the England series could be a blessing for Bengal's Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has been part of the India 'A' set-up for a long time and will be leading the side for the first two matches versus the England Lions. 

Aspiring Test player Easwaran could be picked as the backup opener in the squad for the first two Test matches in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, with skipper Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal acting as incumbents.