Ruturaj Gaikwad, the right-handed batter, bounced back in style from an underwhelming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as he rescued India A out of trouble against Sri Lanka A in the A Tri-Nation Series opener at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Tuesday. Gaikwad, who walked out to bat in the fifth over after the loss of Prabhsimran Singh's wicket, went on to hit a century, roaring back into form.
The experienced Maharashtra batter mixed caution with aggression to bring India A back into the contest after the loss of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran. At first, he took his time and just looked to rotate the strike. But as soon as the partnership between him and Tilak Varma started to flourish, Gaikwad unleashed another gear in his batting.
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Gaikwad then took on the mantle of being the aggressor, and he constantly started to look for boundaries to force the pace on a reasonably easy batting track. The right-handed batter eventually brought up his century in the 44th over of the game. He got to the landmark off the bowling of Wanuja Sahan and brought up the milestone off 112 balls. This was Gaikwad's 21 List-A century. The batter was eventually dismissed on 101 off 114 balls.
The latest ton comes as a big respite for Gaikwad. The CSK captain came under severe criticism for his lacklustre show with the bat for the five-time champions. His troubles deepened when the franchise failed to make the playoffs.
{{/usCountry}}The latest ton comes as a big respite for Gaikwad. The CSK captain came under severe criticism for his lacklustre show with the bat for the five-time champions. His troubles deepened when the franchise failed to make the playoffs.
{{/usCountry}}In the 19th edition of the tournament, Gaikwad managed just 337 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28.08, and his strike rate was even less than 125. Speaking of the right-handed batter, Gaikwad isn't a part of India's senior side and won't be featuring in the series against Afghanistan.
Earlier, several reports claimed that Gaikwad would be named as the replacement for the injured Virat Kohli, but the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced Yashasvi Jaiswal as the new member for the ODIs against Afghanistan, with the left-hander set to replace the former India captain.
Tilak Varma stands up
The India A captain, Tilak Varma, also stood up for the team when it mattered the most, as he was involved in a solid partnership with Gaikwad.
The match between the two teams began with Tilak winning the toss and opting to bat. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old sensation, began the innings with a four. However, his blitz was short-lived as he lasted just 12 balls in the middle, scoring 14.
Sooryavanshi's wicket was followed by Prabhsimran and Priyansh's dismissals, and it was then that Gaikwad and Tilak put on a rescue act to take India out of troubled waters. Tilak and Gaikwad were involved in a 150-run stand for the fourth wicket. While Gaikwad scored 101, Tilak, the India A captain, returned with a knock of 60 off 97 balls. Eventually, India A posted 277/6 in the allotted fifty overs.