Reports: Ruturaj Gaikwad replaced with Pakistan's Imam-ul-Haq at Yorkshire

Published - 20 Jul 2025, 17:39 IST | Updated - 20 Jul 2025, 19:06 IST

India and CSK star Ruturaj Gaikwad had to withdraw himself from his County Championship deal with Yorkshire County Club due to undisclosed personal reasons. This forced the club, which had been on the lookout for a potential replacement for the ace batter. In a latest development, it seems that the Yorkshire side has finally found a replacement in Pakistan's top-order batter Imam-ul-Haq.

According to a report by The Cricketer, Imam, who has previously played for Somerset club in the County Championship, will now be representing a new side, if the signing comes into realization. The confirmation regarding his stint with the club is yet to be made, but he will nonetheless be a huge boost owing to his prior experience of playing in the English conditions.

Notably, Gaikwad has been away from cricketing action since his elbow fracture that he suffered during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and had to withdraw midway, which led to the franchise asking MS Dhoni to lead once again. Although the Pune-born was a part of the India A tour of England, he did not get to play, as he reportedly had still not recovered from the injury.

Now in his absence, Imam will be eager to play for Yorkshire, as he has been away from red-ball cricket for almost five months now. He last played a First-Class game in March, representing Pakistan Television, but returned with a disappointing outing. He could manage 9 in the first innings and 21 in the second, in what was otherwise a successful game for his side, as they won by 3 wickets.

The left-handed batter has also been out of favour from the Pakistan national team, as he was dropped from their recent tours due to bad form. An impressive stint with Yorkshire might help the 29-year-old to find form and earn a place back once again on the international stage.