Ruturaj Gaikwad is back with a bang.
The batter, who has been sidelined from the Indian team for a while, grabbed the selectors' with an superb ton in the Duleep Trophy semi-final on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Gaikwad scored 184 runs to help West Zone's revival after they were reduced to 10 for 2 by Central Zone in Bengaluru.
Walking in at No. 4 after the dismissals of Yashasvi Jaiswal (4 off 3) and Harvik Desai (1 off 4), the 28 year old took on the spinners and raced to a century in just 131 balls.
Gaikwad was eventually dismissed for 184 off just 205 balls, scoring at a strike rate of 89, his innings decorated with 25 fours and a six.
With the twin home Test series against the West Indies and then against South Africa, Gaikwad's resurgence comes just at the right time, giving selectors another reminder of his ability after a difficult few months.
Gaikwad's 2025 IPL campaign earlier this year was cut short due to injury. He was then part of the India A tour to England but did not get a game and in July he withdrew from a county stint for Yorkshire citing 'personal reasons'.
But his unrelenting attitude has seen him regain his touch, especially on the domestic circuit, having scored a century for Maharashtra in the Buchi Babu invitational tournament in August. This after a string of low scores, including 1 and 11 in Maharashtra's opening loss to Chhattisgarh.
Two centuries in domestic circuit this season thus far, but will it be enough to get the selectors' nod for the upcoming Test series. We'll have to wait and see.
Gaikwad was called up to the Test team in 2023 for the series against West Indies but did not play due to injury. He has played six ODIs and 23 T20Is for India, and also led the team to win the Asian Games gold medal in men's cricket in 2022.