Ruturaj Gaikwad leaves Kohli behind in elite List A club
What's the story
Star Indian batter cricketer Ruturaj Gaikwad has made history by surpassing Virat Kohli to become the Indian with the highest batting average in List A cricket (minimum 3,000 runs). The milestone was achieved during his 66-run innings off 52 balls for Maharashtra against Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Jaipur on Saturday. Gaikwad's remarkable achievement highlights his consistent performance in the format.
Record-breaking feat
Gaikwad's average surpasses Kohli's
With his latest innings, Gaikwad has raced to a total of 4,904 runs in 97 List A matches at an impressive average of 57.69. This puts him ahead of Kohli, who has a batting average of 57.67 after scoring 16,207 runs in 344 matches. As per ESPNcricinfo, England's Sam Hain (57.76) and Australia's Michael Bevan (57.86) are now the only ones with better averages than Gaikwad in the 50-over format (minimum 3,000 runs),
Knock
A fine hand from Gaikwad
Batting first in the game, Maharashtra were well placed at 140/1 when captain Gaikwad arrived to bat. He first stitched a crucial partnership with centurion Arshin Kulkarni, adding 114 runs for the second wicket. Gaikwad brilliantly shifted the gears after getting settled as he smashed seven fours en route to his 52-ball 66. His brilliance meant Maharashtra finished at a massive 366/4.
Information
Second 50-plus score in the tourney
This was Gaikwad's second successive 50-plus score in the tourney as he made 124 is his preceding outing against Uttarakhand. Notably, the batter raced to his 19th half-century in List A cricket. His conversion rate is outstanding (19 centuries). 3,180 of his runs have come in the VHT at 63.60. His tally of 14 VHT tons is the second-most for any batter (50s: 9).