Ruturaj Gaikwad Replaces Riyan Parag, Named India A Vice Captain For Sri Lanka Tri-Series

Ruturaj Gaikwad Replaces Riyan Parag: The India Men’s Selection Committee has announced a big change to the India A squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka, with Ruturaj Gaikwad drafted into the side following an injury setback to Riyan Parag. Parag, who was originally named vice-captain of the squad, has been ruled out of the tournament after sustaining a hamstring injury. The all-rounder will now undergo rehabilitation under the supervision of the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE).

As a result of the change, Gaikwad has been included in the squad and will take over the role of vice-captain for the series. The Maharashtra and CSK batsman brings valuable experience to the setup and will support captain Tilak Varma during the series.

Riyan Parag Ruled Out With Hamstring Injury

The selection committee confirmed that Parag will miss the entire tri-series due to the injury. He was last seen in action during the IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 Playoffs match for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans.

He was appointed full-time captain of the franchise after Sanju Samson was traded out to Chennai Super Kings. Under his leadership, RR made it to the knockouts for the first time since 2022, but were eliminated one step away from the final.

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Gaikwad Steps Into Leadership Group

With Parag unavailable, Ruturaj Gaikwad has been handed both a place in the squad and the vice-captaincy. The experienced top-order batsman will join a talented India A group featuring several emerging stars who have impressed in domestic cricket and franchise tournaments.

Although the CSK captain had a disappointing season in terms of IPL standings, he did manage to stitch some crucial innings in the back end of the tournament.

The side will be led by Tilak Varma, as mentioned earlier, while a number of promising youngsters, including Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Priyansh Arya and Ayush Badoni, will look to make an impact during the competition.

Here’s the updated India A squad for Sri Lanka, Afghanistan tri-series:

Tilak Varma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Kumar Kushagra (WK), Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Arshad Khan and Anukul Roy.

India A will play their first match of the series against Sri Lanka A on June 9, 2026.