Before Gaikwad, Virat Kohli (Delhi), Devdutt Padikkal (Andhra Pradesh), and Prithvi Shaw (Mumbai) had accomplished the feat.
Follow Us
On Tuesday, Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad equaled a major record by slamming his fourth century of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 against Chandigarh in the Elite Group D Round 5 match. Gaikwad, who made his India debut in the T20I series in Sri Lanka in July, hit his fourth century of the tournament, equaling the record for most centuries in a single season of India’s premier domestic 50-over competition.
Before the 24-year-old, Virat Kohli (Delhi), Devdutt Padikkal (Andhra Pradesh), and Prithvi Shaw (Mumbai) had accomplished the feat. In the 2009-10 season, Kohli was the first to hit four hundreds, followed by Shaw and Padikkal, who repeated the feat the following year. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 168 off 132 balls helped Maharashtra reach 310 with 5 wickets in hand and 7 balls to spare. His innings featured 12 fours and six sixes. Gaikwad’s knock also made him the first batter in the tournament’s history to score more than 600 runs. Gaikwad has amassed 603 runs from 5 matches at a mind-boggling average of 150.75 with 4 centuries.
Gaikwad scored 168, 21, 124, 154 not out, and 136 in five innings at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. In this year’s Vijay Hazare Trophy, he currently has the most runs, the best average, the highest individual score, the most fours, sixes, and hundreds. He reached triple figures off 95 balls before scoring the next 68 runs in 36 balls to tip the scales in Maharashtra’s favour. He accounted for 54% of the team’s total runs and came in third place while chasing.
Maharashtra’s second successful 300-plus chase in five games was aided by Gaikwad and Azim Kazi’s 73 not out. Chandigarh had earlier posted 309 for 7 thanks to 141 from captain Manan Vohra and 87 from Arslan Khan.
Running out of words, but keep the runs coming @Ruutu1331 ?⚡#VijayHazareTrophy #WhistlePodu ?? pic.twitter.com/JUeYmtJLX7
— Chennai Super Kings – Mask P?du Whistle P?du! (@ChennaiIPL) December 14, 2021
Legendary cricketer Brian Lara hailed the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener as a player who had earned the right to be compared to none other than Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper KL Rahul. Gaikwad scored a century in CSK’s IPL 2021 league encounter against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Saturday, impressing one and all with his prowess. The opener helped the Chennai-based franchise post a competitive total which seemed unlikely at one stage.
Also Read – VVS Laxman begins a new chapter, takes over as NCA head
“Yeah, he could have been 135 if he had got more strike in the end overs. But it was a complete show of batsmanship. That’s what I like about him, seeing how he put that innings together, how he surged in the second half of the innings. He was just tremendous to watch,” said Lara in an interaction with Star Sports.
“He shows that you can play good cricket shots and still score big runs. And that’s what I am proud of as a batsman. It was just remarkable and unbelievable. I will put him now in the KL Rahul category,” he added.
