Riyan Parag getting ruled out is bad timing for him,but for Gaikwad,this Sri Lanka tri-series now becomes chance to reset things a bit.
Ruturaj Gaikwad,a right-handed opener,has officially been included in India A squad for upcoming 50-over tri-series in Sri Lanka,which kicks off on June 9 . BCCI confirmed change after Riyan Parag was ruled out due to hamstring injury he suffered while playing for Rajasthan Royals in latter stages of IPL 2026.
BCCI said,"The Men’s Selection Committee has added Ruturaj Gaikwad to the India A squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka." Straight statement,but behind it there is clearly lot happening with Parag’s fitness.
Parag was vice-captain of India A side,and his last few IPL matches did not look comfortable at all . His movement appeared limited,then he missed crucial games against Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans . Rajasthan Royals eventually went out after defeat by seven wickets in Qualifier 2.
And now Parag will go for rehabilitation at BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru . Same facility he had used earlier this year for shoulder recovery also. Hamstring issue at this stage is not small thing ah,especially when India A games are used to test players for bigger opportunities .
Gaikwad’s own IPL 2026 was not exactly great either . He captained Chennai Super Kings to eighth-place finish on points table and made only 337 runs over 14 matches,with average of 28.08 and strike rate of 123.44 . For player of his class,those numbers will obviously feel underwhelming.
But tbh,experience is still there. Gaikwad has already represented India in ODI and T20 formats,and his last appearance in international cricket came during series win against South Africa last year. So selectors are not picking complete unknown here,they are backing someone who has already been around setup.
Few schedule points standing out here:
- First match against Sri Lanka A — India A will commence their campaign on June 9 in Dambulla.
- Round-robin stage until June 19 — tournament will include Afghanistan as third team .
- Final scheduled for June 21 — A decisive match will conclude the tri-series .
India A squad is being led by captain Tilak Varma,and it also includes names like Anshul Kamboj and Prabhsimran Singh,who have previous experience with senior men’s team . After this 50-over series,team is also set to play two red-ball matches against Sri Lanka A in Galle,with separate squad to be announced for those fixtures.
And for Gaikwad,this is not just replacement slot only . It feels like small window to remind selectors again,especially after ordinary IPL 2026. Whether he grabs it or again gets stuck in that almost-there zone… that is question now.
