Ruturaj Gaikwad scores maiden Century to become No. 1 in Prestigious list of World Cricket

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Ruturaj Gaikwad has made headlines with his maiden ODI century against South Africa. Gaikwad scored his maiden ODI century against South Africa in the second ODI at Raipur on Wednesday (December 3).

He made 105 runs off 83 balls, including 12 fours and 2 sixes. His century was the second fastest by an Indian against South Africa, achieved in 77 balls. This innings helped India build a strong total alongside Virat Kohli, who also scored a century in the same match.

Gaikwad's performance confirmed his arrival at the highest stage in ODI cricket, and with this century, he now holds the highest List A batting average in the world, surpassing Michael Bevan.

Despite his success in international cricket, Gaikwad's journey has been marked by challenges and intermittent opportunities on the ODI front. Known for his elegant batting and consistency, he has been a key player in CSK since his IPL debut in 2020, amassing over 2,500 runs with a solid average and strike rate.

Gaikwad took over the captaincy of CSK in the 2024 IPL season, succeeding the legendary MS Dhoni. However, his captaincy tenure faced hurdles, especially during the IPL 2025 season, where CSK endured their worst performance, finishing at the bottom of the points table. Gaikwad missed a significant part of the 2025 season due to an elbow injury, leading to Dhoni stepping back as captain for the remainder of the campaign. Despite the setbacks, CSK confirmed that Gaikwad will continue as captain for the IPL 2026 season, highlighting the team's faith in his leadership and potential.

The Maharashtra batter was picked to the side on the back of rich form in domestic cricket. Despite getting dismissed early in the last match, the player has done justice to his talent with a fantastic knock. Gaikwad stitched a huge partnership with Virat Kohli, who scored the 53rd ODI ton of his career. The duo took India to a solid position, and later a brisk half-century from KL Rahul has taken India to 358 for 5 at the end of 50 overs.