Ruturaj Gaikwad - (Source: AFP)
In a significant development, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has earned a late India A call-up as an injury replacement. On Sunday, May 31, the BCCI took to social media platforms to confirm Gaikwad's additon to India A's squad for upcoming tri-series against Sri Lanka starting from June 9.
Notably, Ruturaj Gaikwad has replaced injured Riyan Parag, who has been ruled out of the series because of hamstring issue. Further, the CSK captain will serve as Tilak Varma's deputy, because Riyan Parag was also the team's vice-captain.
India A Updated Squad For Sri Lanka Series
Updated India A squad for tri-series: Tilak Varma (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-captain), Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Kumar Kushagra (WK), Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Arshad Khan, Anukul Roy
Also Read: Kartik Sharma's Cost Per Run For CSK In IPL 2026
Riyan Parag Plays IPL 2026 With Injury
The first signs of discomfort for Riyan parag were visible in the early stages of IPL 2026. Notably, during RR vs DC match, the RR skipper had pulled his hamstring and walked off the field.
The right-handed batter had also missed a few games because of injury. However, the RR captain returned to the playing XI despite discomfort, because Rajasthan Royals' playoff qualification was on line.
The gamble paid off because Rajasthan Royals did qualify and also beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator. However, the 2008 winners crashed out of the tournament in qualifier 2 when Gujarat Titans handed them a defeat.
Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi In; No Place For Ishan Kishan: India's Best Squad For Asian Games
Riyan Parag And Ruturaj Gaikwad Struggling For Runs
Interestingly, both Riyan Parag and Ruturaj Gaikwad had a forgetful IPL season. Riyan Parag scored 308 runs in 14 innings, averaging 23.69. He also batted with a strike-rate of 157.
For Ruturaj Gaikwad, he had a poor season as CSK captain and only amassed 337 runs in 14 innings, averaging 28.08. His poor run was also a reason why Chennai Super Kings failed to qualify for the 3rd straight season.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Set For 1st India A Stint Since 2025
India recently announced their 15-member ODI squad for upcoming squad against Afghanistan. One of the most notably exclusion was Ruturaj Gaikwad. It was a shocking one because the right-handed batter was part of India's last ODI series against South Africa where he scored a century in the 2nd ODI.
Therefore, the upcoming India A stint is a great opportunity for the CSK captain to make a return to the India set-up. The last time Gaikwad played for India A was against South Africa A where he amassed 210 runs in 3 innings, which included a century and a fifty.
Notably, Gaikwad will soon join the India A squad and the team will depart for Sri Lanka in the new few days after the IPL gets over.
.jpg?type=mq "IPL 2026 closing ceremony")
