Ruturaj Gaikwad humiliates Ajit Agarkar, Gautam Gambhir, becomes Vijay Hazare Trophy’s greatest batter

Ruturaj Gaikwad once again showed why he is seen as one of India’s most reliable batters in domestic cricket. The Maharashtra captain produced a special knock in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 clash against Goa to achieve a significant milestone.

Ruturaj Gaikwad stands alone as Maharashtra survive Goa’s bowling storm

Maharashtra were in deep trouble early in the match as they lost six wickets for just 52 runs, with the top order completely blown away by Goa’s fierce bowling attack in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy clash against Goa in Jaipur on Thursday (January 8).

The situation looked almost beyond repair, but the captain has a different plan. Gaikwad began his innings carefully, choosing survival over risk. In his first 107 balls, the right-handed batter scored 77 runs, holding the innings together as wickets kept falling around him.

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Then came the dramatic shift. In the final phase, Gaikwad switched gears like only top players can. He smashed 57 runs off his last 24 balls. By the end, the Maharashtra captain stood tall with a brilliant unbeaten 134 off 132 balls, decorated with 8 fours and 6 sixes.

Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Vicky Ostwal step up in the final phase

Gaikwad was not alone in the rescue act. Vicky Ostwal played a crucial hand with a steady fifty, providing much-needed support in the middle. Towards the end, Rajvardhan Hangargekar added late fireworks, remaining unbeaten on 32 off just 19 balls.

Despite eight Maharashtra batters failing against Goa’s brutal bowling, the captain’s heroic knock dragged the team to a respectable 249 for 7 on the board in their 50 overs. Vasuki Koushik was the standout bowler for Goa with a brilliant spell of 3/38 in 10 overs.

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Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Century Sparks Triple Milestone in Vijay Hazare Trophy

It was Gaikwad’s 15th century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With this ton, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain equaled the long-standing record for most hundreds in the Vijay Hazare Trophy that is held by Ankit Bawn, who also has 15 centuries in the tournament to his name.

Gaikwad reached this landmark in just 59 matches, highlighting his consistency and hunger for big scores. Additionally, it was the Maharashtra captain’s 20th List A hundred, and he reached that milestone in only 95 innings. During the same innings, Gaikwad crossed 5,000 List A runs, turning the knock into a triple celebration. He also has 19 fifties in List-A cricket to his name.

Ruturaj Gaikwad equals the #VijayHazareTrophy record for most centuries with his 15th hundred in only 59 matches. That's his 20th List A century in only 95 innings, also completing 5000 runs in the format during the knock.

— Lalith Kalidas (@lal__kal) January 8, 2026

Ruturaj Gaikwad makes world record in List-A cricket

Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad has created history in List A cricket with his unbelievable consistency. Officially, the Indian batter has officially claimed the best batting average in List A cricket history, surpassing Michael Bevan to set a new gold standard in the format.

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Gaikwad’s average stands at 58.83 after 95 List-A matches, the highest ever for a batter with at least 50 innings. Earlier, the record was held by former Australian batter Michael Bevan, who had an average of 57.86 that was unbroken till now in the one-day cricket.

Despite his consistent and record-breaking performances in the domestic cricket, Gaikwad was overlooked for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home.