For the 49th over of Maharashtra’s innings, Uttar Pradesh captain Karan Sharma handed the ball to left-arm spinner Shiva Singh. At 272/5, and Ruturaj Gaikwad opening the batting with 165 off 147 balls, Maharashtra’s immediate target will be to cross the 300-run mark in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-finals. He did, and it took Gaikwad just five balls to cross the number.
In the 49th over of the innings, the handsome right-handed batsman hit the left-handed batsman for seven consecutive sixes and became the first batsman to collect 43 runs in an over in limited overs cricket. One delivery was a no-ball and both the no-ball and the free hit were credited to the stands by the on-song captain. From 165 off 147 balls, Gaikwad scored 207 off 154 balls as Maharashtra’s total was 315/5 after 49 overs.
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He didn’t stop here and hit Karthik Tyagi for two more sixes in the 50th over of the game. The innings ended at 330/5 and Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 220 off 159 balls (10 fours and 16 sixes). If it was all class and precision against pace, Gaikwad was very serious on UP’s spinners. Straight over the bowler’s head was his preferred position and when the trajectory became flatter and predictable in the last few overs, the skipper didn’t mind extending the boundary towards the mid-wicket region.
UP had the option of pace against Gaikwad in the 49th over as both Shivam Mavi and Ankit Rajpoot had overs left. They went towards spin and Gaikwad made the most of the seven balls of left-arm spin. Shiva is a very clever bowler but everything he tried today went into the stands. Standing on middle and leg, Gaikwad made sure to keep his boundary under control and repeated the drill ball after ball.
Shiva went slow, hit the pads, pushed the length back a bit and even changed the angle (over the wicket) but nothing worked for the spinner as Gaikwad kept connecting and got him well. Keep connecting somehow.
As soon as Gaikwad returned to the hut after his innings, there were sounds of shaking hands all around. UP captain Karan was one of the first few to congratulate senior bowler Ankit Gaikwad, who quietly got drenched in thunderous applause and went straight to the dressing room, where his teammates stood on the edge of the boundary line to applaud.
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The 25-year-old missed most of the Vijay Hazare Trophy due to injury and in the first two matches played in the group stages, he returned with scores of 124* vs Railways and 40 vs Bengal. He turned in all the important quarters against a strong UP team, with a potent bowling attack, and delivered. In a line-up featuring the likes of Ankit Rajput, Shivam Mavi, Karthik Tyagi, Gaikwad, and how!
impressive white ball run
Before Vijay Hazare got injured, Gaikwad was also in form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as he scored two centuries (114 vs Kerala and 112 vs Army). He scored the most centuries in the tournament, scoring 295 runs in just five innings at a healthy average of 59 and a very impressive strike rate of 146.76.
In the last Vijay Hazare Trophy, Gaikwad scored four centuries in five innings and finished the tournament as the highest run-scorer with 603 runs at an average of 150.75. Runs continue to flow from his bat at a steady pace and it is only a matter of time before he finds his way back into India’s fifty-over set-up.
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