Wrist injury rules Gaikwad out of rest of Sri Lanka T20I series

Opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of India's ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka because of a wrist injury, and Mayank Agarwal has replaced him in the squad for the remaining two matches.

Gaikwad had been ruled out of the first T20I in Lucknow on Thursday after complaining of pain in his right wrist joint, after which he was examined by the BCCI medical team. He subsequently underwent an MRI scan and consulted a specialist. A BCCI statement on Saturday said that he would be heading to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of his injury. Agarwal, meanwhile, has already linked up with the squad in Dharamsala.

It was in July 2021 that Gaikwad made his T20I debut, in Sri Lanka. He played two matches in that series, after which he played the third T20I against West Indies in Kolkata last week. At the toss during the first T20I against Sri Lanka on Thursday, captain Rohit Sharma had said that Gaikwad was in line to play in that game, but the wrist issue had ruled him out.

Agarwal, meanwhile, is yet to make his debut for India in the format. He was earlier called up into the ODI squad for the West Indies series in February after four India players had returned positive tests for Covid-19.

India's updated squad for the last two T20Is: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Avesh Khan, Mayank Agarwal