SMAT 2022/23: Ruturaj Gaikwad slams a ton against Services
Days after making his ODI debut, Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad slammed a T20 century. He reached the three-figure mark in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Services for Maharashtra. Ruturaj smashed 112 runs off 65 balls, thereby completing his second century in T20 cricket. His century comes a day after his Indian team-mate Devdutt Padikkal scored 124* against Maharashtra.
Why does this story matter?
Ruturaj has been one of the top performers in domestic cricket of late. He rose to prominence in the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, winning the title with Chennai Super Kings. He won the Orange Cap, having played several match-winning knocks for the Yellow Army. Ruturaj later earned his maiden international call-up for the Sri Lanka tour. And, his phenomenal run continues.
Ruturaj's ton goes in vain
Ruturaj was the lone warrior for Maharashtra after Services elected to field. He firmly held one end while the others continued to depart. The former shared valuable partnerships with Naushad Shaikh and Rahul Tripathi. Ruturaj hammered 12 fours and 5 sixes in his 65-ball 112. However, Services managed to chase 186 with vital contributions from Rahul Singh and Amit Pachhara.
His record in white-ball cricket
Ruturaj has featured in 67 List A games, scoring 3,374 runs at 53.55. He has hammered 11 hundreds and 16 fifties with the best score of 187*. Ruturaj has also played 84 T20 matches, scoring 2,653 runs at 34.45. He has two tons and 20 fifties. The tally also includes 135 runs in nine internationals for India at 16.87.
Ruturaj traveled from Delhi to Punjab
Ruturaj was included in India's squad for the ODI series against South Africa. However, the right-handed batter was dropped for the Delhi ODI after he played in Ranchi. Notably, Ruturaj traveled from Delhi to Punjab to feature in the SMAT encounter against Services.
