Ruturaj Gaikwad (Source: X)
Ruturaj Gaikwad has recently bagged a contract with Yorkshire for the ongoing English First-Class season. He will also stay to represent the club for the upcoming One-Day Cup. Gaikwad has been out of cricketing action since a while after being ruled out of the Indian Premier League due to an elbow injury in the first-half of the tournament.
As far as the County Championship is concerned, Yorkshire stand as the most successful club with 32 titles to their name. They also possess four 50-over trophies under their belt. Yorkshire have had a storied legacy of inducting top-notch players over the years. Historically, only a select few Indians have earned a spot on their roster.
3 Indians who played for Yorkshire before Ruturaj Gaikwad
3. Sachin Tendulkar
Three years since making his international debut, Sachin Tendulkar became the first overseas player to represent Yorkshire. The club had had a history of cultivating homegrown players based out of Yorkshire unlike several other counties which employed a much more diverse recruitment programme. Sachin ended up playing 16 games for Yorkshire, registering 1,070 runs at a stellar average of 46.52.
Sachin’s introduction into the Yorkshire setup was no stroke of luck. Instead, it was backed by calculated decision-making on the back of promising performances. From 1990 to 1992, he had scored 245 (average: 61.25) and 368 runs (average: 46.00) in five and nine innings in England and Australia, respectively. Prior to his Yorkshire debut, he had undergone a satisfactory 1992 World Cup with the bat.
2. Yuvraj Singh
It had been more than a decade after Sachin played for Yorkshire that they proceeded to secure the all-round services of Yuvraj Singh. Yuvraj was yet to make his Test debut for India by then. However, he had impressed the cricket fraternity with his dynamic prowess with bat and ball in the ODI format. Yuvraj scored 145 runs in 12 innings. He picked up three wickets in six innings at an economy rate of only 3.76.
Yuvraj scored 27 in the sole 50-over match he played for Yorkshire. He became the first Indian to score a fifty in the T20 format in 2003 with a 71 (37) against Leicestershire. Yuvraj struck at 143.92 and secured five wickets in as many games at an economy rate of 7.28. Yuvraj also took part in the National Cricket League Division One. He garnered 169 runs in eight games in the 45-over competition.
1. Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara played for Yorkshire from 2015 to 2018. He compiled a total of 436 runs in 18 innings across the seasons. In the 18 innings (10 matches), Pujara scored only a fifty and a ton each. He averaged only 25.64. This stood in stark contrast with an average of 31 in English conditions while playing in England for the Indian cricket team.
Pujara was one of the most committed Indian batters when it came to being ever-ready to refine his craft in the UK. He has been that sort of player to has almost turned to county cricket at any given opportunity provided to him. Apart from Yorkshire, Pujara has featured for Derbyshire and Sussex too. Pujara has been one of the most technically proficient players of the Dukes ball.
Disclaimer: This latest news is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.
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