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 alternative for Riyan Parag. Parag, who was originally appointed vice-captain of the squad, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury and can undergo rehabilitation on the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
The Rajasthan Royals captain had been coping with the injury during IPL 2026, where he guided his team to a Qualifier 2 finish, and was forced to miss a couple of matches throughout the tournament. Gaikwad has not only replaced Parag within the squad but may even assume the role of vice-captain for the series.
The BCCI confirmed that Riyan Parag will report back to the Board’s Centre of Excellence to proceed 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 as a consequence of a hamstring injury. Riyan’s rehabilitation can 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 ready to get underway on June 9. All sides will face the opposite two teams twice within the league stage, with the highest teams advancing to the ultimate on June 21. All fixtures of the tournament can be played on the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Goals to Bounce Back After Disappointing IPL 2026 Campaign
Ruturaj Gaikwad could have a chance to place a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign behind him after being named within the India A squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka. The fashionable right-handed batter endured a difficult season, failing to provide the consistency and impact that fans have come to expect from him.
Consequently, his performances got here under scrutiny throughout the tournament. Nonetheless, the India A call-up offers Gaikwad a fresh start and a probability 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 project.
The tri-series, featuring India A, Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, will provide precious match practice and a really perfect platform for Gaikwad to regain confidence. Strong performances within the tournament could help him re-establish himself within the national selection conversation and silence critics after a difficult IPL season.
Get the most recent cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.