Fit-again Ruturaj Gaikwad signs for English County side Yorkshire after India snub

Yorkshire County Cricket Club has signed Indian top-order batter Ruturaj Gaikwad for the rest of the 2025 English domestic season. The club confirmed the news on Tuesday (June 10) on their website.

With this move, Gaikwad becomes the fourth Indian cricketer to represent Yorkshire, following in the footsteps of legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, and Cheteshwar Pujara.

"The right-hander can bat anywhere in the top 4 and has shown versatility when required to step up and open the batting for India," Yorkshire said in a release.

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Darren Gough, the director of Yorkshire Cricket, welcomed the signing. In a statement on the club's website, he said, "We’re delighted to have Ruturaj with us for the remainder of the season. He’s a calm, classy batter with international pedigree and will bring real quality to our top order, both in the Championship and the One Day Cup."

Gaikwad, who recently captained Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), missed the latter stages of the tournament due to an elbow injury. Speaking on the opportunity, he said, "It’s a great honour to join a club with such a rich history. I'm looking forward to experiencing county cricket and contributing to the team in any way I can."

The 27-year-old India batter will link up with the Yorkshire squad ahead of their County Championship match against Surrey at Scarborough in July. Gaikwad, who is presently with the India A squad in England will be available for selection in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, which commences on Tuesday (August 5).

As Ruturaj is set to play county cricket, let's have a look at his first-class records.

Gaikwad’s stats in first-class cricket

• Matches: 32
• Runs: 2,328
• Average: 45.68
• Centuries: 6
• Fifties: 11
• Highest score: 195