Ruturaj Gaikward becomes the fastest Indian to 4,000 T20 runs
Ruturaj Gaikwad has become the fastest Indian to accomplish 4,000 runs in men's T20 cricket. He achieved the feat in the fourth T20I against Australia at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. The 26-year-old only needed seven runs to achieve 4,000 runs in the shortest format of the game. Eventually, India posted 174/9 from their 20 overs.
Fastest Indian batter to complete 4,000 T20 runs
Gaikwad completed his 4,000 T20 runs in only 116 innings, making him the fastest Indian batter to achieve this feat. As per Cricbuzz, the dashing opener has leapfrogged KL Rahul, who held the previous record of achieving this milestone in 117 T20 innings. Virat Kohli is the third-fastest Indian to complete the same feat in 138 T20 innings.
Joint fourth-fastest to 4,000 T20 runs
Gaikwad has also become the joint fourth-fastest to the milestone. He shares his record with New Zealand's Devon Conway. Chris Gayle is the fastest to reach the landmark in only 107 innings. While Gaikwad is also behind the likes of Shaun Marsh (113), and Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam (115).
A look at his T20 numbers
Gaikwad has raced to 4,025 runs in T20 cricket across 121 matches. He has compiled 490 runs in 18 T20Is for India with an average of 37.69. The 26-year-old has hammered a massive 123* while also slamming three fifties. He owns a strike rate of 142.02. Gaikwad has scored 213 runs in four matches against Australia at an average of 71.
Gaikwad broke records in Guwahati
In the 3rd T20I, Gaikwad brought up his maiden T20I century in Guwahati. His previous-highest score in the format came in the last encounter. He smashed a 43-ball 58 as India won the 2nd T20I in Thiruvananthapuram. Gaikwad also played a 58-run knock against Ireland earlier this year in Dublin (Malahide). His only other T20I fifty-plus score came in 2022 (57 against South Africa).
Second-highest individual T20I score for India
Gaikwad recorded the second-highest individual score for India in men's T20Is. He is only behind Shubman Gill, who smashed an unbeaten 126 against NZ in Ahmedabad earlier this year. Gaikwad surpassed Kohli, whose 122* came in the form of his maiden T20I ton (Asia Cup 2021). Gill, Gaikwad, and Kohli are the only three Indians with scores of over 120 in T20Is.
A look at the Indian innings
Batting first, Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal added 50 runs before the latter was dismissed. India lost a few wickets in the middle until Rinku Singh and Gaikwad added 48 runs. Later, Rinku stitched a 56-run partnership with Jitesh Sharma. Ben Dwarshius finished with 3/40 from his four overs. Australia picked wickets in the slog overs to restrict India to 174/9 from their 20 overs.
