Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad led the charge against Mumbai on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy, scoring a century off just 87 balls. This marked his seventh century in first-class cricket. The 27-year-old had previously made 86 runs against Jammu and Kashmir to start the 2024-25 season.
Gaikwad now has 2,468 runs in 35 first-class matches, with an average exceeding 43, though these stats will be updated after his performance against Mumbai. Despite his impressive form, he faces tough competition for a national call-up, with Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan in the Test squad, along with Shreyas Iyer also vying for a spot.
Fans on X praised Gaikwad for his resilient century against the defending champions, with one user commenting:
“100 off just 87 balls, What a knock!”
Another user wrote:
“Team under pressure in the 2nd innings and Captain stands tall for Maharashtra, What a knock, What a start for the new season.”
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Besides Tests, Gaikwad has had a mixed presence in limited-overs cricket. He played for India in the T20I series in Zimbabwe earlier this year but was omitted from the T20Is against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He has participated in six ODIs for India but has struggled to make an impact in that format.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to captain India A in Australia
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s strong form is encouraging news as he is expected to captain India A during their tour of Australia later this month, according to ESPNcricinfo. The Pune-based batsman will be eager to carry his success into the series.
In-form players Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, and Ishan Kishan will also join the 15-member squad.
India A squad for the Australia tour
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abishek Porel (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, B Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mukesh Kumar, Ricky Bhui, Manav Suthar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Tanush Kotian, Yash Dayal.
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