India’s selectors have chosen Shreyas Iyer to step in for Tilak Varma for the first three T20 matches against New Zealand. Tilak Varma was ruled out after getting injured early this year while playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Hyderabad, which forced the team to look for a replacement.

Shreyas Iyer is also making a comeback after spending time out due to injury. He recently returned to domestic cricket in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and has now joined the Indian side in the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand. However, Iyer has not played T20 cricket for some time. He missed the full Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season in 2025–26 and last appeared in a T20I match more than two years ago.

In an official update, the BCCI confirmed that Shreyas Iyer has been added to the T20 squad for the opening three games in place of Tilak Varma.

Keeping this situation in mind, here are three other players, apart from Shreyas Iyer, who could have been considered as Tilak Varma’s replacement for the India vs New Zealand 2026 T20I series.

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3. Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad could have been a strong option for the squad because of his good T20I record and experience. He fits well into the No.3 or No.4 batting role that the team needs. In recent white-ball matches, Gaikwad has mostly played in the middle order and has improved his strike rate.

Over the last few years, he has changed his game. He is no longer just a steady batter but can score fast when needed. This is similar to the role Tilak Varma plays in the current T20I team.

Gaikwad can make good use of the powerplay and plays spin bowling well, which are important skills for a No.3 batter. He can stay at the crease and allow aggressive batters around him to play freely.

He also comes in with good match practice. Gaikwad played the full 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy and also featured in the ODI series against South Africa. Because of this, he had strong momentum that India could have used.

2. Devdutt Padikkal

Tilak Varma was not only a key batter for India but also the only left-handed batter in the middle order. With Shivam Dube not fitting well into the floating role, India depended on Tilak Varma to handle wrist spinners and left-arm spinners during the middle overs.

Even though India now focus less on left-right batting pairs, left-handed batters still offer value. If a similar left-handed option is available, it makes sense to consider it.

Devdutt Padikkal is currently one of the most in-form batters in India. He had an excellent 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy season and also batted at No.3 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

In the domestic T20 tournament, he scored 309 runs in six matches at a high average and strike rate, including a century. His strong form, left-handed batting style, and overall improvement as a player made him a good choice to replace Tilak Varma.

1. Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan was a bold option who brings power and quick runs rather than stability. The Mumbai batter has grown fast as a white-ball player and has impressed with his performances.

Batting at No.3 for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Sarfaraz scored 329 runs in seven matches with a very high strike rate. He showed his aggressive style and ability to dominate attacks.

He plays spin bowling well and is especially good at using sweeps to trouble spinners. Since India will play many matches in subcontinent conditions, including the New Zealand T20Is and the T20 World Cup, a batter like Sarfaraz could have added variety to the batting lineup.

India could have used his energy, confidence, and strong form after a great domestic white-ball season.

Cricket's inclusion in the Asian Games will provide additional opportunities for aspiring cricketers to showcase their skills and compete internationally alongside their peers from Asia and other countries worldwide. Asian cricket will play an increasingly important role going forward, as evidenced by the recent inclusion of cricket in the Asian Games, along with an ever-expanding pipeline of players and pathways up through the Game's highest levels. India are defending champions with Ruturaj Gaikwad leading India to championship.

With the introduction of cricket into the Asian Games, Asia will be able to provide an additional international competition in cricket for Asian nations. As a result, we can expect many competitive matches between Asia and other countries. Cricket in Asia will be poised for further growth through strong participation in the Asian Games. The Asian Games Cricket Competition will give cricketing nations in Asia the opportunity to develop their players further and potentially grow cricket in Asia through strong participation and increased media attention. As the number of professional cricket leagues across Asia continues to increase, the demands for cricket in Asia will continue to increase as well.

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Match Schedule: Asian Games 2026 Cricket Fixtures

The important cricket events at the Asian Games 2026 are summarised in the table presented, which contains information on the group stage matches held at separate venues throughout Tokyo's metropolitan area. The tournament proceeds via elimination rounds culminating in October 3rd for the gold medal matches, which will undoubtedly be one of the most visually appealing events of the tournament for spectators as well as the press.

What Teams Can Expect

Cricket teams are participating in a high-pressure environment where they must be both skillful and consistent. Many teams will have the opportunity to advance based on their strength of their group as they will be competing against other cricket nations from Asia, a combination of veteran players and new players emerging in cricket. Coaches and support staff have already begun creating their strategy around the already announced match schedule.

For the teams seeking to win a gold medal at the Asian Games, they will have to not only have a physically demanding route to victory but also have to use sound logic in their strategy. Teams that make it through the group and knockout rounds of play must closely manage their players' workloads to maximise their chances of progressing through the tournament, given the nature of back-to-back matches. Winning the Asian Games would bring the organisation and athlete great recognition and increase their nation's total victory count, making cricket an exciting sport to follow at the Asian Games.

Once the schedule has been confirmed fans all over Asia are getting excited about experiencing the thrill of multi-national competition. The Asian Games 2026 Cricket event is a unique platform that offers teams an opportunity to compete for a podium finish with both national pride and sporting excellence on the line. We would like to keep you posted about your team(s) and provide you with detailed updates about their progress and preparation leading up to this year's tournament.

Achieving a double hundred (200 runs or more) has been an outstanding achievement for batsmen in one-day international (ODI) and domestic cricket, both form of cricket is played over 50 Overs. To achieve that score in one day of cricket require great concentration, skill, endurance, and tactical acumen on the part of the batsman. There are only a select few batsmen that have reached the double hundred mark for ODIs and Domestic Cricket throughout the history of cricket, only to have their names immortalised in the annals of cricket as member of an elite group.

The most recent addition to this group is Aman Rao Perala, who played for Andhra Pradesh in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy against Bengal and not only achieved his own personal milestone but also was one of the standout performances of this season's List A cricket. History has shown that many of the double-hundred innings played by batsmen have changed the direction of the match and been the highlights of that tournament.

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Rohit Sharma is the highest profile player to have a number of List A double hundreds to his name, including his highest score in the ODI, where he set the record at 264, which is still one of the highest scores in the history of 50 overs cricket. Other very notable players such as Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill have also managed to make the double hundred club, indicating that the double hundred is still a milestone that modern-day players aspire to play for.

List of all List A Double Hundreds

The seventh and last round of the group stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26 saw the eight teams that will take on each other in the quarterfinal three days later. Karnataka will be up against Mumbai, take on Karnataka, while Uttar Pradesh will face Saurashtra on January 12. Meanwhile, Delhi will be up against Vidarbha while Punjab will face Madhya Pradesh on the very next day.

Karnataka’s Devdutt Padikkal ended the group stage as the leading run-getter with 640 runs in seven innings at an average of 91.42 and a strike rate of 102.56, thanks to his four centuries and 150 at the base score of 147.

A look at the top 5 batting performances from Day 7 of Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26

1.   Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra)

Against Goa, Maharashtra faced an ominous start, losing three wickets for two runs in the second over, and soon were reduced to 52/6 in the 21st over as captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was needed to shoulder them to a respectable total. The right-handed batter who was recently ignored for the Home ODI series against New Zealand ended with a fine knock of unbeaten 134 runs in just 131 balls. The next best score of the top six was five.

The knock was decorated with eight boundaries and six sixes at a strike rate of over 100 as they ended up with 249 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs, besides a contribution of 53 runs from number eight, Vicky Ostwal.

Brief Scores: Maharashtra 249/7 (Ruturaj Gaikwad 134*, Vasuki Koushik 3/38) beat Goa 244/9 (Lalit Yadav 57, Prashant Solanki 4/56) by 5-runs. 

2.   Sridam Paul (Tripura)

Tripura’s number four batter, Sridam Paul, has got a decent start in List A cricket with an average of 30 in 12 innings, thanks to his five half-centuries, two of which were part of this ongoing VHT season. However, again in Jharkhand in Ahmedabad, the right-handed batter posted his maiden century in the format. This came at a crucial situation when they were 20/3 in the fifth over.

Paul ended up with 150 runs in 134 balls with the help of 13 boundaries and six sixes at a strike rate of 111.94 in a partnership of 258 runs for the fourth wicket with Rajat Dey, who himself celebrated his century to take them to 320 in their allotted 50 overs.

Brief Scores: Tripura 320 (Sridam Paul 150, Rajat Dey 102, Sushant Mishra 6/52) beat Jharkhand 123 (Manishi 40, Abhijit Sarkar 4/40) by 197 runs.

3.   Auqib Nabi Dar (Jammu and Kashmir)

Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi Dar has impressed the entire world with his excellent swing bowling as he got signed in the Indian Premier League. But he has now also displayed his excellent batting performances during the game against Hyderabad, where he played a jaw-dropping knock under pressure.

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When he walked out to bat, Jammu and Kashmir had already lost six wickets for 78 runs in their massive chase of 269 runs before Nabi posted a massive partnership of 182 runs and ended up with an unbeaten 114 in just 82 balls at a strike rate of nearly 140, thanks to his ten boundaries and seven sixes to complete the chase by three wickets.

Brief Scores: Jammu and Kashmir 272/7 (Auqib Nabi Dar 114*, Mohammad Siraj 2/45) beat Hyderabad 268/9 (Aman Perala 60, Nabi 3/56) by 3-wickets.  

4.   Dhruv Jurel (Uttar Pradesh)

When Dhruv Jurel blasted a fine knock of 160 against Baroda, it was enough to knock the doors of the selectors through his inclusion in India’s ODI side as a wicket-keeper batter. He continued the purple patch with two more half-centuries in our next three clashes before celebrating a fine knock of 123 runs.

When Bengal set a target of 270 runs, it was important for one of the Uttar Pradesh batters to stand till the end to see off the chase. The Rajasthan Royals batted did the same and ended up with that knock at a strike rate of one to eight with the help of nine boundaries and five sixes to complete the chase by five wickets with a little less than 8 / 2 spare.

Brief Scores: Uttar Pradesh 272/5 (Dhruv Jurel 123, Aryan Juyal 56, Akash Deep 1/27) beat Bengal 269 (Sudip Gharami 94, Zeeshan Ansari 3/33) by 5-wickets.

5.   Narayan Jagadeesan (Tamil Nadu)

Narayan Jagadeesan, the 30-year-old Tamil Nadu batter who got a chance for the fifth Test as a replacement for Rishabh Pant against England, is also knocking on the door in India’s white-ball formats, especially ODIs, for that position. It has been a roller coaster campaign for the opening batter, who got two half-centuries and two ducks in his last four innings of the competition.

Jagadeesan ended up with 139 runs in 126 balls at a strike rate of more than 110 with the help of nine boundaries and five sixes during their clash against Kerala, which helped them to post a massive score of 294. In reply, Kerala got bundled out for 217 as the opposition claimed the victory by 77 runs.

Brief Scores: Tamil Nadu 294/8 (Narayan Jagadeesan 139, Eden Apple Tom 6/46) beat Kerala 217 (Rohan Kunnummal 73, Mohammad Ali 4/36) by 77 runs.

Tilak Varma's future in the T20 World Cup 2026 is uncertain, as he underwent major surgery. It is learnt that the batter went through a ‘testicular torsion’ surgery. Keeping the importance of the surgery in mind, it is reported that he could miss the entire India vs New Zealand series, which will start on January 11. After that, from next month, India will be in the title race for the T20 World Cup. Varma is in India's WC squad. It is expected to see him during the elite tournament despite the surgery. As of now, he can take one to four weeks to recover. But, if he is unable to recover within the time, then who can be the suitable replacement for him in the WC squad? Here are 3 players who have the potential to replace Tilak Varma.

3 players who could replace Tilak Varma:

1. Shreyas Iyer: Shreyas Iyer is a proven name in the T20 format and on the international stage. In the IPL 2025, he performed steadily for Punjab Kings (PBKS) with the bat. Iyer, who has reportedly recovered from a rib injury, is ready to represent India again. He was in fine touch during a Vijay Hazare trophy for Mumbai. Like Varma, Iyer is also a middle-order batter.

2. Shubman Gill: Another proven talent in the limited-overs format who is omitted from the T20I squad by the selectors. In the India vs South Africa T20I series, Gill was the vice-captain of Team India. He has all the potential to be a part of the T20 World Cup squad.

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3. Ruturaj Gaikwad: With strong domestic and T20 credentials, he could easily plug in as the replacement of Tilak Varma. Gaikwad got his maiden ODI century during a recent match against South Africa.

Current India squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Rinku Singh.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy is regarded as the leading domestic one-day championship in India and offers batters a platform to build a career by demonstrating their ability to consistently perform in 50-over matches. In the competition, a century represents a benchmark for many batters as it demonstrates their ability to dominate quality bowlers in different situations. Many Indian batters have achieved great things by turning good innings into centuries throughout the years, establishing records that will continue to shape the history of batting in this tournament.

The players on the list of the leading century-makers in the history of the Vijay Hazare Trophy span from long-time domestic players to those who later played for the Indian National Team, which reflects the depth of India’s batting talent pool. Many of these players have had a significant impact by performing in high-pressure situations as well as for accumulating hundreds of runs during their careers. This article will examine the leading century-makers in detail, their accomplishments and how their accomplishments are significant to the continued development of Indian domestic cricket.

Ankit Bawne (Maharashtra)

Ankit Bawne, who plays for Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, is currently ranked first in the historical list for most centuries scored in the tournament. Having started participating in the tournament in 2009, he has compiled an incredible total of fifteen century scores, which places him among the more reliable players in the domestic one-day game.

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In ninety-two innings, Bawne has scored 4,164 runs with an excellent batting average of 56.27, and a strike rate of 80.01. In addition to the centuries attributed to him, he has also contributed seventeen scores of fifty or more. Bawne's best showing in the tournament came during the 2022-23 season when he amassed 587 runs from nine innings. In the 2022-23 season, Bawne also boasted an average of 83.85 and a strike rate of 101.55, validating the premise of his consistent performance combined with his measured aggression when batting.

Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra)

The second-best player on the all-time list of batters who have achieved the most centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in history is Ruturaj Gaikwad, also a representative of the Maharashtra state team. Gaikwad's batting average of 63.60 and strike rate of 104.91 during the tournament have helped him score fourteen centuries in fifty-five innings.

Gaikwad has also accumulated 3,180 career runs and has registered nine scores of fifty or more during his career. Gaikwad had an outstanding season during the 2022-23 Vijay Hazare Trophy season, scoring an incredible 660 runs in just five innings while averaging an astounding 220.00 and striking with a rate of 113.59 and registering four centuries during that season.

Devdutt Padikkal (Karnataka)

Karnataka opener Devdutt Padikkal is currently joint-third on the all-time list for most centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, having struck 13 hundreds so far. Known for his elegant stroke play and consistency, Padikkal has been in exceptional form, amassing 2,525 runs in just 33 innings at a phenomenal average of 93.51 and a strike rate of 94.74.

Padikkal’s standout season arrived in 2020–21, when he piled up 737 runs across seven innings, averaging 147.40 with a strike rate of 95.96, including four centuries. He has continued his rich vein of form in the ongoing 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, already scoring 514 runs at an average of 102.80 and a strike rate of 102.18, once again featuring four hundreds.

Mayank Agarwal (Karnataka)

The Vijay Hazare Trophy, an annual cricket tournament in India, features Mayank Agarwal who regularly participates in this tournament since 2012 and has amassed 13 centuries which places him third overall in the all-time list of leading run-scorers within this tournament and Agarwal's runs have been scored over 77 innings with an impressive average of 52.65 and a healthy strike rate of 99.40.

The star India opener most successful season to date was 2017–18, when he recorded 723 runs over 8 innings with a remarkable average of 90.37 and an excellent strike rate of 107.91, including an outstanding three centuries.

Robin Uthappa (Kerala, Karnataka, Saurashtra)

Robin Uthappa's 11 centuries throughout his career (2008 to 2021) have placed him fifth on the all-time leading run-scorer list in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Robin played for three teams in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (Karnataka, Kerala, and Saurashtra), providing valuable talent, presence, and stability to each of the teams he played for.

Uthappa's run total is 3,115 runs over 79 innings with an average of 40.45 and with a score of 102.90. Uthappa's best season was in 2013–14 when he scored 536 runs with a batting average of 76.57 and a strike rate of 89.33 with three centuries to his credit.

Jagadeesan and Other Notable Performers

The tremendous consistency of players like N Jagadeesan has added significantly to the century lists in the tournament. Because of Jagadeesan's ability to achieve large hundreds while also maintaining very high strike rates, he has been one of the most successful batters in the past few seasons at the Vijay Hazare tournament.

Some other domestic players have succeeded in making their marks in the tournament and have solidified the notion that the Vijay Hazare tournament is a place for developing excellent batting performances, not just singular achievements.

Why Vijay Hazare Trophy Centuries Matter

Centuries scored in the Vijay Hazare tournament frequently lead to other opportunities, whether it be domestic or national selection as the tournament is being watched closely by the national selection committee based on the similarities of this tournament to ODI cricket at the international level.

The batters that are regularly achieving centuries are demonstrating not just their ability, but also their mental capability to handle the rigors of playing at the highest level and having a good understanding of the game and the ability to adapt their game to the specific circumstances. For those reasons, many of the leading century-makers from the Vijay Hazare tournament have either played for the country or are being considered as national players.

Conclusion

The number of players who have scored 100s in the Vijay Hazare Trophy through the years illustrates how important this tournament has been in providing India with a deep pool of talented batters. The players like Ankit Bawne have been very consistent, while others, such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devdutt Padikkal, Mayank Agarwal and so forth, have set the tone for what one-day cricket looks like during their particular period. While the tournament will undoubtedly continue to change into the future with new players emerging, the record that these century scorers created will be a yardstick for the upcoming players for years to come.

Most Hundreds in Vijay Hazare Trophy

India will face New Zealand in a three-match ODI series later this month. The first match will be played in Vadodara on January 11.

The BCCI has recently announced India’s squad for the series. Shubman Gill will return to the team and lead the side, while Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain. Both players have recovered from injuries and missed the previous series against South Africa.

Competition in the 50-over format is very tough at the moment. Because of this, several players missed out on selection despite being in good form. With that in mind, here are three players who were unlucky to miss a place in India’s squad for the New Zealand ODI series.

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3. Axar Patel

Why has Axar Patel been left out of the last two ODI series? He played in Australia and performed well, but Ravindra Jadeja has been selected for the series against South Africa and New Zealand.

Jadeja’s batting form has dipped, while Axar has continued to improve. Axar’s bowling has been excellent over the last year, and he has also worked on his batting, especially against fast bowlers.

India needs a batting all-rounder who can play in the top seven, and Axar fits that role well. He feels unlucky to miss out on selection.

2. Ruturaj Gaikwad

Not long ago, Ruturaj Gaikwad scored his maiden ODI century. In that match against South Africa, the right-hander played a confident and fluent innings and even matched Virat Kohli shot for shot.

However, Shreyas Iyer’s return to the squad has meant that Gaikwad missed out. This is understandable, as Shreyas is an important player in this format, but Gaikwad will still be disappointed to miss the tour so soon after his big achievement.

Competition for places in India’s ODI team is very strong, and Gaikwad will need to keep performing to stay in contention.

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1. Dhruv Jurel

For the New Zealand ODI series, Rishabh Pant has been selected as KL Rahul’s backup wicketkeeper. However, Pant has not been in good form in domestic cricket for Delhi, while Dhruv Jurel has been scoring runs consistently.

Pant has clear limitations in white-ball cricket and has not played much since his serious accident. While it is fair that the selectors want to give him a chance, this may not be the right time.

Jurel looks like a more complete player in limited-overs cricket and appears to have a higher potential.

Team India had an excellent year in ODIs in 2025. The Men in Blue played 14 matches, winning 11 and losing only three. This gave them an impressive win percentage of 78.57.

India began the year with a dominant 3–0 home series win against England. They then remained unbeaten in the Champions Trophy held in the UAE. Later in the year, India lost the three-match ODI series in Australia by 2–1. However, they finished 2025 on a high with a 2–1 home series win over South Africa.

Among the batters, Virat Kohli was India’s leading run-scorer in ODIs in 2025. In 13 innings, he scored 651 runs at an average of 65.10 and a strike rate of 96.15. He hit three centuries and four half-centuries. Rohit Sharma finished just behind him with 650 runs at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 100.46.

Shreyas Iyer scored 496 runs, Shubman Gill made 490 runs, and KL Rahul added 367 runs to complete the top five list.

Indian batters produced several memorable performances in ODIs during 2025. In this feature, we look back at the top five one-day innings played by Team India batters in the year.

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5. Shubman Gill (112 off 102) vs England, Ahmedabad

Shubman Gill played 11 ODI matches for India in 2025. In 11 innings, he scored 490 runs at an average of 49 and a strike rate of 88.76. He hit two centuries and two half-centuries during the year.

Gill played a fine knock of 112 off 102 balls against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in the third and final ODI. After England won the toss and chose to bowl first, India lost Rohit Sharma for just one run. Gill then steadied the innings with a classy knock.

His innings included 14 fours and three sixes. Gill added 116 runs for the second wicket with Virat Kohli and 104 runs for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer, who scored 78. Gill was eventually bowled by Adil Rashid. India went on to win the match by 142 runs.

4. Ruturaj Gaikwad (105 off 83) vs South Africa, Raipur

Ruturaj Gaikwad scored his maiden ODI century against South Africa at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. He batted at number four in this match as Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to injury.

After South Africa won the toss and elected to field, India lost both openers inside the first 10 overs. Gaikwad then launched a strong counter-attack. He smashed 12 fours and two sixes in his 105 off just 83 balls.

Gaikwad added a massive 195-run partnership for the third wicket with Virat Kohli. He was eventually caught at deep fine leg off Marco Jansen. Despite his brilliant knock, it went in vain as South Africa successfully chased down 359 runs.

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3. Rohit Sharma (121* off 125) vs Australia, Sydney

Rohit Sharma rolled back the years with a superb century against Australia in Sydney during the final ODI of the series. After losing the first two matches, Rohit gave Indian fans something to cheer about with a composed and experienced knock.

Australia were restricted to 236 after Harshit Rana took four wickets. In the chase, Rohit remained unbeaten on 121 off 125 balls. He struck 13 fours and three sixes and played with great control.

Gill was dismissed for 24, but Rohit added an unbroken 168-run stand for the second wicket with Virat Kohli. India chased the target in 38.3 overs and won the match with nine wickets in hand.

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal (116* off 121) vs South Africa, Visakhapatnam

Yashasvi Jaiswal also scored his maiden ODI century during the series against South Africa. Opening the innings in the absence of Shubman Gill, who was injured, Jaiswal delivered a match-winning knock in the decider at Visakhapatnam.

Chasing a target of 271, Jaiswal scored an unbeaten 116 off 121 balls. His innings included 12 fours and two sixes. He led the chase with confidence and maturity.

Jaiswal added 155 runs for the first wicket with Rohit Sharma, who scored 75 off 73 balls. He then shared an unbeaten 116-run stand for the second wicket with Virat Kohli, who remained not out on 65 off 45 balls. India won the match comfortably.

1. Virat Kohli (135 off 120) vs South Africa, Ranchi

Virat Kohli once again showed his class in ODIs with a brilliant performance against South Africa in Ranchi. In the first ODI of the series, Kohli scored a superb 135 off 120 balls at the JSCA International Stadium Complex.

After South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first, India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early for 18. Kohli then took charge of the innings and kept the pressure on the bowlers.

He smashed 11 fours and seven sixes in his 173-minute knock. Rohit Sharma supported him well with 57 off 51 balls as the pair added 136 runs for the second wicket. Kohli was dismissed late in the innings, but India posted 349 for 8 and went on to win the match by 17 runs.

That one century can prove enough to clear all doubts among the team selectors. In the upcoming days, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad can get another massive opportunity to showcase his talent for Team India. If the reports are to be believed, then the batter can make a debut in other formats as well for the Men in Blue.

After a long wait, Ruturaj Gaikwad got another chance to prove himself in the 50-over format. In the first ODI of the ongoing 3-match series against South Africa, he underperformed. But, in the following match, he bounced back with a bang. Gaikwad scored his maiden ODI hundred in Raipur and helped India to post 358 runs on the scoreboard batting first. Though that total was not enough to secure a win against the visitors.

The right-handed batter made his ODI debute back in October, 2022. After that he featured against South Africa, the West Indies, and Australia. Before the century, Gaikwad's only notable knock for the team was 71 against Australia in Mohali on 22 Sep 2023. Before the ongoing series with South Africa, there were only a couple of instances when he managed to get runs in two digits. Because of the poor form, BCCI dropped him from the team.

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CSK star Ruturaj Gaikwad can make Test debut for India soon

In 2024, Ruturaj did not play a single game for India but did well in domestic cricket. After months of dedication and hard work in domestic cricket, the selectors again showed trust in the 28-year-old. Now, he is looking more controlled and composed with the bat in the middle of the ground.

According to the latest updates, Ruturaj Gaikwad can soon make his Test debut for India after taking part in ODIs and T20Is. India is expected to play a Test series against Sri Lanka; there Gaikwad can get a chance to perform in the Whites. If the selectors put him in the playing combination, then Sai Sudharshan's place can be in trouble, as the team management is desperate to get a suitable number 3 batter for the Test format. Sudharshan played a few matches in that position but lacked consistency.