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Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad led from the front against Mumbai in the ongoing Ranji Trophy on Day 3 (Sunday, October 20). The right-hander brought up his century off just 87 balls. This was Gaikwad’s seventh century in his first-class career. The 27-year-old had recently scored 86 against Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy to kickstart the 2024-25 season.
Overall, Gaikwad has 2,468 runs in 35 first-class matches, averaging 43-plus. The figures are subject to change after his knock against Mumbai. He, however, is far away from a national call with the presence of Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan in the Test setup. Shreyas Iyer, too, is fighting for a place in the squad.
Fans on X lauded Gaikwad for his fighting ton against defending champions Mumbai. One user wrote:
"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."
A third user added:
"Incredible knock by Ruturaj Gaikwad! His leadership is truly inspiring for Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy."
Here are a few more reactions:
Apart from Tests, Gaikwad has been in and out of the side in limited-overs format. He represented India in the T20I series in Zimbabwe earlier this year but was left out of T20Is against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He has also played six ODIs for the Men in Blue but failed to deliver in the format.
Ruturaj Gaikwad set to lead India A in Australia
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s form comes as great news as he is likely to lead India A on the tour of Australia later this month, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. The Pune-based batter will be keen to replicate his performance Down Under.
In-form players Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, and Ishan Kishan will also travel with the 15-member squad.
India A squad for the tour of Australia
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, B Indrajith, Abishek Porel (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Ricky Bhui, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Manav Suthar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Tanush Kotian, Yash Dayal.
