Meet Ruturaj Gaikwad: From 16 Months On Bench To His Maiden ODI Hundred; Announces His Arrival; Check Public Reaction

Ruturaj Gaikwad announced his arrival in style after scoring blazing century against SA in Raipur.

Credits - Twitter

Ruturaj Gaikwad announced his arrival in ODI cricket, hitting his maiden one-day international hundred on Wednesday, December 3, in Raipur. He reached the milestone in just 77 balls, anchoring India’s innings after South Africa won the toss and elected to field at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in the second ODI of the three-match series.

Ruturaj was in sublime touch, displaying why he is regarded as one of the most elegant batters in modern cricket. He brought up his fifty in 52 balls before accelerating, scoring the next fifty in just 25 deliveries.

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The Chennai Super Kings captain targeted Keshav Maharaj in the middle overs, taking 16 runs off the left-arm spinner in a single over. From that point, Gaikwad did not look back, finding the boundaries at will and racing to his hundred.

He was well supported by Virat Kohli, with whom he stitched a massive 195-run partnership. Kohli, continuing his sensational form from the Ranchi ODI where he scored a match-winning 135, also looked in sublime touch and was approaching his own century.

Ruturaj’s opportunity in the ODI side came due to injuries to India’s designated captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who were ruled out of the series.

Ruturaj has faced numerous challenges throughout his career. He was often ignored, became a victim of politics and favoritism, yet performed consistently in domestic cricket. His relentless performances forced the selectors to take notice. After being out of the ODI side for two years and ranked seventh, he made a spectacular comeback with this century, proving his mettle.

This innings confirmed Ruturaj Gaikwad as The man with incredible potential His journey has been defined by hard work, patience, and discipline. Despite injuries, political hurdles, and years of being overlooked, he quietly toiled in domestic cricket, earned his place back, and showcased his true talent on the international stage.

The return of Ruturaj Gaikwad is not just a comeback; it is a statement. He has arrived, calm, confident, and ready to dominate. The white-ball arena now has a new king in the making.

Here is The Public Reaction 

- Came when we were 62/2
- Built Partnership with Virat Kohli
- Scored his 100 even before Virat
- With a Strike Rate of 126
- Build the biggest Partnership in India vs South Africa ODI History
- Left

Well Played Ruturaj Gaikwad. pic.twitter.com/aw3bn0PrWU — Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) December 3, 2025

The deserving prince who never got the chance to be a King, showing the World what he is capable of.

Well Played Ruturaj Gaikwad, convert it to big Hundred. pic.twitter.com/VPvH4aAQm4 — Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) December 3, 2025

100 FOR RUTURAJ GAIKWAD pic.twitter.com/IGVJh784DU — Heisenberg ☢ (@internetumpire) December 3, 2025

Very well deserved Century Ruturaj Gaikwad.  pic.twitter.com/2FbbEI1nRW — Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) December 3, 2025