There was a bit of a concern going around CSK and Maharashtra skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s form. After being excellent in the Ranji Trophy thus far, he struggled to get going in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and retuned with scores of 1, 19, 4, and 2 in the last four matches. But that changed rapidly on Thursday, when Ruturaj struck 97 from only 48 deliveries against Services.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Impresses in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
The 27-year-old returned to his very best to slam six fours and eight sixes in his innings. And not just that, he boasted of a strike rate of 202. The innings does not comes as a surprise, despite his consecutive failures in SMAT, as in the two Ranji matches this year, he had scored 231 runs at an average of 77.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra ought to win this match, and are currently in the fifth position, as far as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy points table is concerned. Out of five played, they have won two and lost three. As for Rutu, this will be the perfect opportunity to prepare well for the IPL 2025.
Preparation for IPL 2025
After all, CSK and the new skipper have a point to prove, after the team failed to reach the playoffs and finished fifth in the points table. It was only last year that Ruturaj took over the reigns of the team from MS Dhoni. As far as his record in the IPL goes, his performances have been second to none, but somehow go unnoticed.
In the 66 matches he has played so far, he has scored 2380 runs at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 136. Last year alone, he scored 583 runs at an average of 53, including a ton and four fifties.
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