Utkarsha Pawar, the fiance of Chennai Super Kings cricketer Ruturaj Gaikwad, is set to marry him on June 3. Gaikwad chose not to participate in the World Test Championship final in order to prepare for the wedding.
In the recent Indian Premier League, Gaikwad performed exceptionally well, scoring 590 runs in 16 matches and helping his team secure their fifth title.
Utkarsha, born on October 13, 1998, is currently a cricketer representing Maharashtra. She is also pursuing her studies at the Institute of Nutrition and Fitness Sciences in Pune.
Utkarsha has been playing cricket since the age of 11 and is known for her all-round skills. She recently participated in the Women’s Senior One-Day Trophy.
As for the WTC final, young cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal will replace Gaikwad in the Indian team’s reserve squad. Jaiswal had an outstanding performance in the domestic arena and in the IPL 2023 season, scoring 625 runs in 14 matches and finishing fifth in the IPL Orange Cap race.
Former cricketers, including Ravi Shastri and Harbhajan Singh, have advocated for Jaiswal’s inclusion in the national team due to his impressive IPL performance.
Gaikwad has had a fluctuating career so far. While he had opportunities to represent the Indian team in the past, he couldn’t make the most of them. He played one ODI match, scoring 19 runs, and has 135 runs in nine T20Is for India.
Gaikwad performed exceptionally well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, helping Maharashtra reach the finals where they eventually lost to Saurashtra.
Currently, Gaikwad is not part of the plans for white-ball cricket. However, if he maintains his momentum, he could earn a spot in the Indian team alongside the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Ishan Kishan.