Controversial Indian cricketer shines in Duleep Trophy semi-finals despite underperformance of Jaiswal and Iyer, scoring a century.
In the ongoing Duleep Trophy, Ruturaj Gaikwad of West Zone is currently batting on 135 runs, with Tanush Kotian supporting him on 29, as they form a strong sixth-wicket partnership that stands at 75 runs.
The semi-final match, which took place on September 4, 2025, saw West Zone led by Shardul Thakur take on Central Zone. The tournament has already seen two double hundreds, scored by Danish Malewar (Central Zone) and Ayush Badoni (North Zone) in the quarter-finals.
Gaikwad, with an average of 41.77 in first-class cricket, scored his eighth first-class hundred for West Zone in this semi-final. However, he has a chance to surpass his highest score of 195 and achieve a maiden double hundred.
The West Zone team faced some early setbacks as Yashasvi Jaiswal, the opening batsman, scored only 4 runs before being dismissed by Khaleel Ahmed. Harvik Desai, the other opener, also had a disappointing outing, scoring 0 runs before being dismissed by Deepak Chahar.
The captains for this semi-final were Ajinkya Rahane for West Zone and Rishabh Pant for Central Zone. Gaikwad and Aarya Desai added 82 runs for the third wicket before Aarya Desai was dismissed for 39.
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Gaikwad last played for India in July 2024 and is yet to make his Test debut. Despite this, his consistent performance in the Duleep Trophy has been noteworthy.
It is worth mentioning that Central Zone qualified for the semi-final by beating North East Zone in the quarters. The winner of this semi-final will face the winner of the other semi-final between North Zone and South Zone in the final.
Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting match and the Duleep Trophy 2025.
