Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad starred in Raipur ODI, playing a brilliant knock to help India dominate South Africa.(Credits :"X")

India are currently locking horns with South Africa in the second ODI of the three-game series at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. A win in this fixture would allow the hosts to clinch the series early by moving into an unbeatable 2–0 lead. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s masterful knock at No. 4 helped India assert themselves after being put in to bat first, and the innings also marked a historic achievement for the batter.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 105-run knock off 83 deliveries at No. 4 propelled him to his maiden ODI century, making him the first player to hit three figures in an international match at Raipur. The city is hosting only its third international encounter, following a T20I versus Australia and an ODI against New Zealand. The previous best score at the venue was 51 by Rohit Sharma in an ODI against Australia.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is typically an opener across formats, but an injury to Shreyas Iyer gave him the opportunity to slot in at No. 4 in the batting order.

Even with options like Tilak Varma and Rishabh Pant in the squad, India went with Ruturaj Gaikwad at No. 4. After scoring just 8 in the opening game, he came back strongly with a fine hundred.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s brilliant innings came to an end at 105 when he lofted a delivery from Marco Jansen straight into the hands of Tony de Zorzi in the deep.

Ruturaj Gaikwad wasn’t the only Indian to reach triple figures in the second ODI against South Africa. Virat Kohli also played a majestic knock, scoring 102 to register his 53rd ODI century and his second consecutive hundred in the series.KL Rahul chipped in with a crucial 66, helping India post a formidable total of 358/5 in their allotted 50 overs.

V M Suriya Narayanan is a passionate cricket writer who has been following the game since 2007. With a background in Civil Engineering (B.E.), he blends analytical thinking with a deep understanding of...