India vs South Africa: Ruturaj Gaikwad Ruled Out of Test Series; Abhimanyu Easwaran Appointed as Replacement

Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Indian batter, will miss the remainder of the South Africa series due to an injury to his right finger sustained while fielding in the second ODI in Gqeberha. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially confirmed this development through a press release on Saturday, December 23. Gaikwad will return to India for further management of his injury at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Abhimanyu Easwaran has been chosen as the replacement for Gaikwad.

The BCCI Medical Team conducted scans and, following expert consultation, ruled Gaikwad out of the ongoing tour. The press release stated, “He will be reporting to the NCA for further management of his injury. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Abhimanyu Easwaran as his replacement.”

Abhimanyu Easwaran, a top-order batter, has consistently performed well in A tours over the years, accumulating 6567 runs from 88 First-Class matches at an average of 47.24. Despite being 28 years old, Easwaran remains determined to represent India, as expressed in an earlier interview with India Today in 2023.

In addition to Gaikwad’s absence, fast bowler Harshit Rana will miss the four-day match against South Africa A on December 26 at Willowmoore Park in Benoni due to a hamstring injury. The Selection Committee has made changes to the India A squad, adding Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Avesh Khan, and Rinku Singh, while releasing Kuldeep Yadav.

India A’s updated squad for the four-day match against SA A:

• Abhimanyu Easwaran (C)
• Sai Sudharsan
• Rajat Patidar
• Sarfaraz Khan
• Tilak Varma
• Dhruv Jurel (wk)
• Axar Patel
• Washington Sundar
• Avesh Khan
• Navdeep Saini
• Akash Deep
• Vidhwath Kaverappa
• Manav Suthar
• Rinku Singh