India international Ruturaj Gaikwad has withdrawn from his multi-format stint with Yorkshire just days before his scheduled debut for the club.
Gaikwad, who signed a multi-format deal with Yorkshire last month, has withdrawn from his contract ahead of their upcoming County Championship match against Surrey at Scarborough. The Indian batter was originally slated to be available for five County Championship matches starting July 22, and the One Day Cup beginning August 5.
Yorkshire coach reveals reason behind Gaikwad's unavailability
Gaikwad's unavailability is due to "personal reasons", revealed Yorkshire head coach Anthony McGrath in a statement released by the club. They are yet to name a replacement.
"Unfortunately Gaikwad’s not coming now for personal reasons," said McGrath.
"We’re not going to have him for Scarborough or for the rest of the season. So that’s disappointing.
"I can’t tell you anything about the reasons why, but we hope that everything’s ok. We’ve literally just found out. We’re working behind the scenes on what we can do. But it’s only two or three days away, so I’m not sure what we can do at the moment.
"We’re working to try and get a possible replacement, but time pressure is the issue. I can’t give you anything more than that at the moment."
Just the tenth teenager with a men's T20 hat-trick 🔥
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 19, 2025
Farhan Ahmed had a memorable outing against Lancashire, becoming the first in Nottinghamshire history to take three wickets in three deliveries. #T20Blast pic.twitter.com/S8gWOIooJW
Gaikwad had been part of the India A squad that toured England in preparation for the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but didn’t play any matches. He has been sidelined after sustaining an elbow injury during the Chennai Super Kings' 2025 IPL match against the Rajasthan Royals. The injury resulted in MS Dhoni taking over as CSK’s captain for the remainder of the season.
He isn’t the only Indian player to withdraw from a county deal this season. Shardul Thakur, signed by Essex for seven matches, also pulled out after he received an IPL contract with Lucknow Super Giants as an injury replacement. He is currently part of India’s squad for their five-Test series against England.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
