Vijay Hazare Trophy: Ruturaj Gaikwad smashes 19th List A ton
What's the story
Star Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad hit a brilliant century for Maharashtra in the ongoing 2025/26 Vijay Hazare Trophy on December 31. His innings of 124 off 113 balls helped Maharashtra post a mammoth total of 331/7 in 50 overs against Uttarakhand. The right-handed batter rescued his side from a precarious position of 100/4. He continues to stake the claim for the impending ODI series against New Zealand.
Match details
Gaikwad's innings: A rescue mission for Maharashtra
Gaikwad came to bat when Maharashtra was struggling at 46/2, with openers Arshin Kulkarni and Siddhesh Veer dismissed cheaply. He first stitched a crucial partnership with Rahul Tripathi, adding 50 runs for the fourth wicket. Gaikwad later added 109 and 94 runs with Satyajeet Bachhav and Ramakrishna Ghosh, respectively, to power Maharashtra. The former reached his century off 104 deliveries, finishing with 12 fours and 3 sixes.
Stats
A look at his List A stats
According to ESPNcricinfo, Gaikwad raced to his 19th century in List A cricket. His conversion rate is outstanding (18 half-centuries). The Indian batter now has 4,838 runs from 96 List A matches at an incredible average of over 56. His strike rate in the format is more than 100. With his latest knock, Gaikwad also propelled past 3,100 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He also owns 228 in nine ODIs for Team India.
Selection
Will Gaikwad play against NZ?
Gaikwad's stellar knock comes ahead of India's ODI series against New Zealand starting January 11. The 28-year-old had recently returned to the Indian team in the ODI series against South Africa. He made a mark by scoring his maiden ODI century (105 off 83) in the 2nd ODI at Raipur. If Shreyas Iyer remains unfit, India will likely persist with Gaikwad at No. 4 against New Zealand.