‘The next decade’s superstar’ – Cricket fraternity go berserk as Ruturaj Gaikwad slams maiden IPL hundred

A maiden IPL century for Ruturaj Gaikwad! What a player this young lad is turning out to be. Continuing his sensational run, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener put up a batting exhibition against Rajasthan Royals. While he batted with precision in the initial overs, Gaikwad changed gears in the death overs and scored runs for fun. Overall, he scored 101 off 60 balls as CSK posted 189/4 while batting first at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Earlier in the game, RR won the toss and elected to bowl. However, CSK openers embraced the challenge and made full use of the powerplay. Gaikwad, alongside Faf du Plessis, added 47 runs for the first wicket before the latter got out. The likes of Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina also couldn’t do much as RR seemed like gaining momentum.

Ruturaj Gaikwad unleashes mayhem in Abu Dhabi

However, Gaikwad found a potent partner in Ravindra Jadeja, and the duo made a mockery of RR bowlers. The former was lethal in particular as he sent the ball in the night sky numerous times. From Mustafizur Rahman to Rahul Tewatia, Gaikwad spared none and reached three figures.

Notably, Jadeja, who was hitting the ball well, took the majority of the strike in the end overs. Hence, it seemed like the youngster will remain stranded in the 90s. Nevertheless, the dasher smashed Mustafizur for a giant six in the very last ball of the innings and raised his bat in jubilation. His sensational knock was studded with nine boundaries and as many as five big hits.

Overall, the youngster became the eighth CSK player to smash a century in IPL. With this knock, Gaikwad also got his hands on the prestigious cap. He became the first batter to breach the 500-run mark in the season. While his tournament tally reads 508 runs, Punjab Kings skipper KL Rahul holds second place with 489 runs.

Meanwhile, Raikwad’s carnage against Rajasthan Royals also sent social media in frenzy. From fans to experts and former cricketers, many heaped praises on the 24-year-old.

Meanwhile, let’s look at how Twitterverse reacted to Gaikwad’s brilliant knock against Rajasthan Royals: