The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Sunday, May 31, that Ruturaj Gaikwad has been drafted into the India A squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka as a replacement for Riyan Parag. Parag, who was originally appointed vice-captain of the squad, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury and will undergo rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
The Rajasthan Royals captain had been dealing with the injury during IPL 2026, where he guided his team to a Qualifier 2 finish, and was forced to miss a few matches during the tournament. Gaikwad has not only replaced Parag in the squad but will also assume the role of vice-captain for the series.
The BCCI confirmed that Riyan Parag will report to the Board’s Centre of Excellence to continue his recovery from the hamstring injury.
“The Men’s Selection Committee has added Ruturaj Gaikwad to the India A squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka.”
“He replaces vice-captain Riyan Parag, who has been ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury. Riyan’s rehabilitation will be managed by the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE),” read the statement from BCCI.
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, Kumar Kushagra, Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Arshad Khan, Anukul Roy
The tri-series featuring the A teams of Sri Lanka, India, and Afghanistan is set to get underway on June 9. Each side will face the other two teams twice in the league stage, with the top teams advancing to the final on June 21. All fixtures of the tournament will be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Aims to Bounce Back After Disappointing IPL 2026 Campaign
Ruturaj Gaikwad will have an opportunity to put a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign behind him after being named in the India A squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka. The stylish right-handed batter endured a difficult season, failing to produce the consistency and impact that fans have come to expect from him.
As a result, his performances came under scrutiny throughout the tournament. However, the India A call-up offers Gaikwad a fresh start and a chance to rediscover his best form. He has also been entrusted with the vice-captaincy role following Riyan Parag’s injury-enforced withdrawal, adding greater responsibility to his assignment.
The tri-series, featuring India A, Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, will provide valuable match practice and an ideal platform for Gaikwad to regain confidence. Strong performances in the tournament could help him re-establish himself in the national selection conversation and silence critics after a challenging IPL season.
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