Left-handed opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal will replace Ruturaj Gaikwad as a standby player in India’s squad for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia.
Ruturaj, who is representing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, will return home
after the summit clash against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday, May 27.
Ruturaj has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about his wedding functions on June 3-4. The right-handed batter was initially picked by the selectors as a backup opener for the WTC final, which starts at The Oval from June 7.
“He (Jaiswal) will be joining the Indian team as Gaikwad has informed us that he won’t be able to fly due to his marriage. He would be able to join the team post-June 5. (But) Coach Rahul Dravid took a call, asking the selectors to pick a replacement. So, Jaiswal will now fly to London soon,” a BCCI official as quoted as saying to The Indian Express.
The Indian team management has told Jaiswal to begin his practice session with the red-ball and he board the flight to London once his Visa gets cleared.
In IPL 2023, Jaiswal accumulated 625 runs in 14 matches with the help of one century and five fifties, while in the Ranji Trophy, he averages 77.32 after 15 games. Remarkably, he already has eight first-class hundreds to his name.