Ruturaj Gaikwad hammers record-equaling 15th ton in Vijay Hazare Trophy days after ODI snub

Star batter Ruturaj Gaikwad recently smashed a record-equalling 15th century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The Maharashtra captain achieved the feat during his team's final league-stage match against Goa, only days after being overlooked for India’s ODI squad against New Zealand. Gaikwad’s knock not only rescued Maharashtra from a collapse but also placed him alongside Ankeet Bawane at the top of the all-time centuries list in the tournament’s history.

Maharashtra entered the match already out of contention

for the knockout stage, and their innings began poorly. The top order collapsed under pressure after losing three wickets for just two runs. Following this, Gaikwad anchored the innings even as wickets continued to fall at the other end. He stitched together an important partnership with Vicky Ostwal for the seventh wicket, ensuring Maharashtra had something to bowl at.

Remaining unbeaten, 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