Yorkshire have roped in India batter and CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad as an overseas signing for the remainder of the county season and the One-Day Cup. Ruturaj will join up with the Yorkshire squad for their match against Surrey in July in the County Championship and will remain with the team till the end of the season.
"The Yorkshire County Cricket Club is delighted to announce the overseas signing of Ruturaj Gaikwad. The 28-year-old Indian batter will join up with the Yorkshire squad ahead of the Rothesay County Championship game against Surrey at Scarborough in July and will remain with the White Rose until the end of the season. Gaikwad, who was in the India A squad for their current tour of England, will also be available for selection in the Metro Bank One Day Cup," read the statement from the county side.
Ruturaj said that he was excited to join Yorkshire for the remainder of the season and it was one of his goals to experience cricket in England. The Maharashtra skipper said that it will be important for him to hit the ground running and ensure Yorkshire can win some silverware by the end of the season. “I’m excited to be joining up with Yorkshire for the rest of the English domestic season. It has always been a goal of mine to experience cricket in this country and there is no bigger Club in England than Yorkshire."“I know how important it is that I hit the ground running at what will be a crucial part of the season. We have some vital games in the County Championship and the One Day Cup is a great opportunity to win some silverware,” said Ruturaj. Ruturaj has played 29 matches for India so far across ODIs and T20Is.
Head Coach Anthony McGrath said: "I'm extremely pleased to see Ruturaj sign with us for the second half of the season. He is a very accomplished cricketer with a natural all-round game that is well suited to the cricket we want to play. Ruturaj will give us some extra solidity in our batting lineup whilst having that ability to score quick runs when required. He's an exciting talent and one I know is highly rated across the game. "He follows the footsteps of India’s greats, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, and Cheteshwar Pujara. Tendulkar was the first overseas player to feature for the club in 1992 at the age of 19. Yuvraj followed that in 2003, though his red-ball stints weren’t fruitful. Pujara is the latest to play for Yorkshire and has done it for multiple seasons.
