Ruturaj Gaikwad, the 28-year-old Maharashtra and India batsman, reminded everyone of his class with a brilliant century in the 2025 Buchi Babu Invitational tournament against Himachal Pradesh. The Chennai Super Kings skipper turned the match on its head with a knock that blended patience with power, sending a timely reminder to the BCCI selectors about his potential.
Gaikwad, who has often been seen as one of India’s most promising batters, began the tournament on a disappointing note with scores of 1 and 11 against Chhattisgarh. He even missed Maharashtra’s second game against TNCA President’s XI. But when he returned for the third-round fixture, he announced his comeback in style.
Batting first, Maharashtra lost an early wicket, but Gaikwad and young Arshin Kulkarni steadied the innings with a marathon 220-run partnership. Both batters went on to score centuries, with Gaikwad reaching his ton off 122 balls before finishing with 133 off 144 deliveries. His innings featured 10 fours and four towering sixes – all of which came in a single over that instantly went viral on social media.
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This explosive moment showed that Gaikwad, despite his calm and technically solid batting style, can switch to T20 mode when required. It also underlined why many fans believe he deserves another chance in India’s national setup, from which he has been absent since July 2024 when he last played a T20I against Zimbabwe.
Rutu goes 4️⃣ sixes in an over! 💥💥💥💥#WhistlePodu #BuchiBabuTournament
🎥 : @tncacricket pic.twitter.com/UXeZVNm9cw
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) August 26, 2025
For Chennai Super Kings, Gaikwad endured a stop-start IPL 2025 season. An elbow injury ruled him out after just five matches, during which he scored 122 runs at a healthy strike rate of 150.61, including two half-centuries. In his absence, leadership duties went back to MS Dhoni. The injury setback also meant he missed out on gaining rhythm ahead of India’s international fixtures.
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Post recovery, Gaikwad travelled with India A to England but did not get a game. He was also lined up for a county stint with Yorkshire for both the County Championship and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. However, citing personal reasons, he withdrew before making his debut.
Now, with a match-winning century at Buchi Babu, Ruturaj Gaikwad has put himself back in the spotlight. More than the numbers, it was his intent and timing that stood out, reminding selectors that he still has the hunger and skill to contribute at the highest level.
