Ruturaj Gaikwad, a star batter, recently scored a record-breaking 15th century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The Maharashtra captain accomplished the feat in his team’s final league-stage match against Goa, just days after being overlooked for India’s ODI selection against New Zealand. Gaikwad’s hit not only saved Maharashtra from defeat, but also propelled him to the top of the tournament’s all-time centuries list, partnering Ankeet Bawane.
Maharashtra entered the match already out of contention for the knockout stage, and their innings started terribly. The top order crumbled under duress, losing three wickets for only two runs. Following that, Gaikwad anchored the innings while wickets continued to tumble at the other end. He put together a vital partnership with Vicky Ostwal for the seventh wicket, giving Maharashtra something to bowl at.
Remaining unbeaten, Ruturaj Gaikwad finished on a superb 134 off 131 deliveries, hitting eight boundaries and six sixes to lift his team to 249 for seven in their allotted 50 overs.
Notably, it was his 15th hundred in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, equalling the long-standing record held by his Maharashtra teammate Ankeet Bawane. Meanwhile, Gaikwad reached the milestone in just 59 innings, while Bawane took 94. He now stands ahead of Devdutt Padikkal, who has 14 centuries in the competition.
The innings also recorded Gaikwad’s 20th List A century, achieved in only 95 innings, making him the fastest player to reach the landmark. During the knock, the 28-year-old crossed 5,000 List A runs in record time. His List A average soared to 58.83, the highest in the world among players with at least 50 innings, surpassing Australian great Michael Bevan’s career average. The performance has grabbed immense attention, considering Gaikwad’s recent omission from India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series, despite scoring his maiden ODI century last month in Raipur.
Most centuries in Vijay Hazare Trophy:
1) Ruturaj Gaikwad – 15*
2) Ankit Bawne – 15
3) Devdutt Padikkal – 13
4) Mayank Agarwal – 13
India
