Ruturaj Gaikwad Ruled Out Of South Africa Tests, Eswaran Named As Replacement

India’s new part-time opener Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the 2-match test series against South Africa due to an injury. Bengal opener Abhimanyu Eswaran has been named as the replacement.

Gaikwad sustained an injury on his right ring figure in the 2nd ODI against the Proteas at Gweberha during fielding. The Maharastra batter did not have a great outing in the ODIs, making only 9 runs in 2 games.

Abhimanyu Eswaran has been one of the most consistent batters in the domestic circuit in the last 4-5 years. The BCCI has adjusted him in India’s test unit before also for a several series. In the 2023 Ranji Trophy edition, the right-arm hand batter mustered 798 runs in 8 games, averaging a captivating 66.50 with 3 centuries and as many fifties.