Ruturaj Gaikwad scores a century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy

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Ruturaj Gaikwad scores a century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy: Indian cricket's rising star and Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has once again proved why he is called a 'class player'. In a crucial match against Uttarakhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, Gaikwad played a captain's knock under challenging circumstances, not only steadying his team but also sending a strong message to the selectors.

Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad Emerges as the Crisis Man

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In this match played in Jaipur, Maharashtra had a very disappointing start. Uttarakhand won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that seemed to pay off in the initial overs. Maharashtra lost their three main wickets (Arshin Kulkarni, Siddhesh Veer, and Ankit Bawne) for just 50 runs within the powerplay.

When the team was in deep trouble, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, batting at number 4, took charge. He started cautiously and then consolidated his position in the match, eventually scoring a century.

Highlights of Ruturaj Gaikwad's century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy: 113 Balls, 124 Runs

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Gaikwad's innings was a perfect blend of patience and aggression. The Uttarakhand bowlers looked helpless against his composed batting.

Details	Statistics
Total Runs	124
Balls Faced	113
Fours/Sixes	12 Fours, 3 Sixes
Strike Rate	109.73

He forged crucial partnerships of 50 runs with Rahul Tripathi and 109 runs with Satyajeet Bachhav.

Finally, Maharashtra posted a massive score of 331/7 in the stipulated 50 overs.

Has his place in the New Zealand series been confirmed?

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This century by Ruturaj Gaikwad has come at the perfect time. The Indian team for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand (IND vs NZ ODI 2026) is likely to be selected around January 5, 2025.

Increased competition in the middle order

• Shreyas Iyer's fitness: Shreyas has not yet received medical clearance from the BCCI. In his absence, Gaikwad is the strongest contender for the number 4 position.
• Ishan Kishan's challenge: Ishan has also recently staked his claim by scoring a century off just 33 balls.
• Pant's situation: There is uncertainty regarding Rishabh Pant's return to the ODI team, which could create a vacancy in the middle order.

Gaikwad also scored a century in the previous ODI series against South Africa, which presents a strong argument in his favor.

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