Ranji Trophy 2022-23, Ruturaj Gaikwad hammers sixth FC hundred: Stats
Maharashtra's opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a brisk 126-ball 118* on Day 1 of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2022-23 match against Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The right-hander struck 16 fours and three sixes as Maharashtra raced to 350/6 in 83 overs at stumps in the Elite Group B fixture. It's his sixth ton in FC cricket. We decode his stats.
Maiden ton in Ranji Trophy 2022-23
Ruturaj, who was batting at 41(50) at tea, changed his gears as Day 1 proceedings came to a close. He guided Maharashtra from 208/6 to 350/6. Interestingly, Ruturaj had decent starts in the premium domestic tournament but couldn't breach the triple figures. The wait, however, ended against Tamil Nadu. Prior to this knock, Ruturaj's scores read 65, 28, and 63.
Sixth FC ton for Ruturaj
Ruturaj has now raced past 1,800 runs in First-Class cricket across 27 matches. He has scored six tons, besides nine fifties. He made his FC debut against Jharkhand in Ranji Trophy 2016-17. Meanwhile, he owns 4,034 and 2,836 runs in List A and T20s, respectively.
Maharashtra's position in Ranji Trophy 2022-23
Maharashtra are currently seated third in the Elite Group B standings, behind Saurashtra and Mumbai. Maharashtra won their opening game against Delhi by nine wickets, followed by a draw against Saurashtra. They beat Andhra by 131 runs before a draw versus Assam.
How has the match panned out?
Put to bat, Maharashtra lost Siddhesh Veer and Rahul Tripathi and were 45/2 within 15 overs. Kedar Jadhav (56) then joined hands with Gaikwad. The pair added an 81-run stand. Maharashtra stumbled in the second session but Azim Kazi (87*) and Gaikwad have put them in a solid position. Meanwhile, pacer Lakshminarayanan Vignesh (2/80) has been the best bet for Tamil Nadu.
