There is no stopping Maharashtra skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad as he has scored another century against Chandigarh to guide his side to a five-wicket victory in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22. The 24-year-old batsman now has four centuries in five games and he also became a part of the elite list of batsmen who have four centuries in the domestic 50-over tournament.
Enters elite list
Players like Indian Test team skipper Virat Kohli, Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal are part of this star-studded list. On Tuesday (December 14), Gaikwad scored 168 off 132 deliveries against Chandigarh, played at the Saurashtra Cricket Stadium.
Vohra gets Chandigarh to fighting total
Batting first, Chandigarh got off to a tremendous start after their skipper and opening batsman Manan Vohra score a century (141 off 139 deliveries). Arslan Khan (87 off 93 balls) and Ankit Kaushik (56 off 45 balls) were other two batters to cross the 50-run mark and helped their side to achieve a fighting total of 309 for 7 in 50 overs. Maharashtra’s Pradeep Dadhe was the best bowler as he managed to scalp four wickets.
Gaikwad's solid response
In reply, Maharashtra managed to get a blazing start. Skipper Gaikwad along with Yash Nahar put up a solid opening partnership of 109 runs. The 24-year-old was unfazed by the wickets falling at the other end and went on to score 168 from 132 balls. His innings comprised of 12 fours and six sixes. This century turned out to be his fourth in five matches, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star also completed 500 runs in the tournament.
After Gaikwad's wicket, Azim Kazi played a crucial knock of 73 not out (from 79 deliveries) to help his side secure a thrilling victory.
Gaikwad's purple patch
Gaikwad scored 136 against Madhya Pradesh and 154 not out against Chhattisgarh. The opener also became the top run-scorer in the last Indian Premier League (IPL) after he amassed 635 runs in 16 innings. This tally included 4 fifties and his maiden IPL hundred as well.
He made his debut for the Indian team in the T20s in Sri Lanka and was also a part of the squad for the three-match T20I series against New Zealand. With a consistent run in the ongoing tournament, he is likely to be one of the top contenders to be selected for India's upcoming ODI series against South Africa which will be led by new skipper Rohit Sharma.
