Chennai Super Kings skipper and Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad has shockingly withdrawn from his contracted deal with Yorkshire County Cricket Club due to “personal reasons”. The news broke on July 19, days ahead of his scheduled debut in the County Championship, with Yorkshire now rushing to find an alternative on short notice.
Gaikwad had earned a five-match County Championship stint and a role in the forthcoming Metro Bank One‑Day Cup. His first appearance was scheduled for July 22, marking the first competitive cricket since his April IPL elbow injury, which had kept him out of the 2025 season and prompted MS Dhoni to pass on the CSK captaincy.
Yorkshire head coach Anthony McGrath spoke of disappointment and dismay in an official release: “Gaikwad’s not coming now for personal reasons. We’re not going to have him for Scarborough or the remainder of the season. So that isn’t very nice. I can tell you nothing about the reasons why, but we hope all is well. We’ve only just discovered,” he explained, revealing how late the club heard about Gaikwad’s withdrawal.
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With precious little time to do so, Anthony McGrath revealed that they were “working behind the scenes to get a possible replacement”, but conceded that getting one before the Scarborough game would be a big ask.
The Yorkshire County Cricket Club can confirm that Ruturaj Gaikwad will no longer be joining the Club for the 2025 season due to personal reasons. pic.twitter.com/zP6YIRZDCT
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) July 18, 2025
For Gaikwad, this stint in the county was a valuable opportunity to regain match form after injury and IPL disappointments. During the 2025 IPL, he played just five games, scoring 122 runs at an average of 24.40, including two half-centuries. His absence reflects a turning of attention away from immediate professional obligations toward personal welfare.
Yorkshire’s county campaign, with a match against Surrey at Scarborough, has been particularly disrupted by this late withdrawal. In short time, McGrath and his coaching staff will have to identify an appropriate batting replacement. Meanwhile, Maxwell’s colleagues and Nashville reassured themselves that Gaikwad’s well-being is the top concern amid continuing speculation.
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As the English home summer reaches its peak, the situation highlights the uncertainty of having players available from overseas and the delicate task of managing multiple commitments. Yorkshire now needs to reassemble in a hurry—and hope to get some cover in place—before play restarts.
