India C captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was forced to retire hurt just two balls into his team’s Duleep Trophy match against India B at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantapur on Thursday. Gaikwad, who had struck a boundary off India B seamer Mukesh Kumar’s first delivery, twisted his ankle while attempting a run on the next ball.
This unfortunate injury saw him leave the field, with Madhya Pradesh’s Rajat Patidar stepping in to replace him at number three. Patidar joined Sai Sudharsan early in the first over. Ruturaj Gaikwad had been in strong form during the previous round of the Duleep Trophy, where his side, India C, pulled off a thrilling win over India D.
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Chasing a target of 236, Ruturaj Gaikwad set the tone with an attacking 48-ball 46, although a middle-order collapse had left India C in a precarious position. It was the duo of Manav Suthar and Abishek Porel who eventually guided the team to victory, keeping their Duleep Trophy campaign alive.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Retired Hurt in Duleep Trophy Match. Hope he is fine and nothing serious 🙏#Sagar #RuturajGaikwad pic.twitter.com/mLrJrP0Slz
— Sagar Mhatre (@MhatreGang) September 12, 2024
The 27-year-old Gaikwad, also the Chennai Super Kings skipper, has had a stop-start red-ball career in recent times. He was included in India’s Test squad for the South Africa tour last December but had to withdraw due to a finger injury.
Despite his consistent performances in domestic cricket, he has not yet made his return to the Test squad. Ruturaj Gaikwad made his First-Class debut for Maharashtra in 2016 and has since accumulated over 2000 runs at an average exceeding 42, with six centuries and ten half-centuries to his name.
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Meanwhile, in the other Duleep Trophy match, India A, led by Mayank Agarwal, faced off against Shreyas Iyer’s India D at the main Anantapur Cricket Ground. India D won the toss and elected to bowl.
