Ruturaj Gaikwad slams record-equaling 15th century in Vijay Hazare Trophy
What's the story
Star Maharashtra batter Ruturaj Gaikwad continues his exploits in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic 50-over competition. Gaikwad raced to another century, this time during Maharashtra's last league match against Goa on Thursday. Batting at No. 5, Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 134 off 131 balls. He powered his side to 249/7 from a precarious position of 25/5. Notably, Gaikwad now has 15 centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Milestone achievement
Gaikwad's record-breaking performance in List A cricket
Gaikwad's stellar performance in the tournament has now taken his total List A centuries to 20 in just 95 innings. He is the fastest to reach this milestone, surpassing even legendary cricketers like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The 28-year-old also crossed the 5,000-run mark in List A cricket during this innings, further cementing his status as one of India's top talents.
Information
Joint-most tons in VHT
As mentioned, Gaikwad raced to his 15th century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, now the joint-most with his teammate Ankeet Bawane. While the latter completed 15 tons in 94 innings, Gaikwad took only 59 innings.
National team
Gaikwad's maiden ODI century
Last month, Gaikwad scored his maiden ODI ton for India while batting at No. 4 against South Africa in Raipur. However, he was not picked in the 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match series against New Zealand, starting January 11 in Baroda. With vice-captain Shreyas Iyer regaining fitness, several experts have lamented this decision.