Ranji Trophy: Ruturaj Gaikwad slams his 15th First-Class half-century
What's the story
Maharashtra's 2025-26 Ranji Trophy campaign got off to a disastrous start, with the team losing four batters for ducks. The top order fell like a pack of cards on Day 1 against Kerala, including Prithvi Shaw on his debut. However, amid the chaos and collapse of his teammates, Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad showed composure to anchor the innings almost single-handedly. Here are the key stats.
Batting disaster
Maharashtra's top order collapses under pressure
Maharashtra's batting order crumbled early on the first morning, with Shaw, Siddhesh Veer, Arshin Kulkarni, and Ankeet Bawane all falling without scoring. The scorecard read a shocking 5/4 as Kerala's bowlers exploited early movement expertly. As wickets fell like nine pins, Gaikwad displayed immense maturity and technique. He held his ground and began to rebuild the innings with patience and temperament.
Lone warrior
Gaikwad shows remarkable composure
As wickets fell like nine pins, Gaikwad displayed immense maturity and technique. He added a crucial 122-run stand along with Jalaj Saxena, taking Maharashtra to 140. However, MD Nidheesh trapped Saxena in front to break the partnership. Eden Apple Tom finally ended Gaikwad's bid for a century with a full-length delivery. He slammed 91 off 151 balls, leaving Maharashtra at 164/7.
Stats
A look at his stats
Playing his 41st match, Gaikwad raced past 2,900 runs in First-Class cricket. He averages over 42 in red-ball cricket. The right-handed batter slammed his 15th half-century in the format. His tally also includes eight tons. While Gaikwad is yet to make his Test debut, he has featured in six ODIs and 23 T20Is for Team India. He also owns a T20I ton.