Gaikwad Shadows Kohli, Shines With Maiden ODI Hundred

News Desk

Ranchi:In a striking display of composure and skill, Ruturaj Gaikwad matched Virat Kohli shot for shot during India’s ODI clash against South Africa, raising hopes of a new middle-order star even as the visitors secured a record chase.

On a pitch offering uneven bounce and grip, Kohli reached his 53rd ODI hundred, anchoring India’s innings despite the challenge of batting first under conditions expected to ease with evening dew. At the halfway mark, the former captain was unbeaten on 51—yet remarkably, Gaikwad was right beside him on the same score.

Gaikwad, typically an opener with 81 of his 88 List A innings at the top of the order, had been seen as bench strength for the series. But after shadowing Kohli during a training session in Ranchi, team management handed him the No. 4 role—possibly grooming him for a future No. 3 slot.

The 195-run stand between the two proved central to India’s strategy of preserving wickets for a late acceleration, which eventually produced 200 runs in the final 25 overs. Kohli orchestrated the approach, repeatedly guiding Gaikwad to exploit gaps in front of the wicket with “tap-and-run” singles.

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“It was a dream to bat with him,” Gaikwad said during the innings break. “He helped me a lot about accessing gaps, predicting lengths, and reducing dot balls.”

Their partnership was so in sync that when both completed their half-centuries, their numbers were nearly identical: Kohli’s 24 singles and three doubles mirrored Gaikwad’s 23 singles and three doubles.

Once settled, Gaikwad unleashed a blistering acceleration. He raced from 50 to 100 in just 25 balls, his boundaries rising from five to fourteen. His maiden ODI century arrived amid loud anticipation from the Raipur crowd, who erupted as a pull shot raced past deep midwicket to the rope. Kohli stepped aside to let the younger batter soak in the applause before joining him in celebration.

Gaikwad later revealed that the pair set five-over targets to build their stand. “Once we felt comfortable and the ball stopped doing much, I just backed my instincts,” he said.

The innings, however, ended in disappointment as South Africa chased down the target in a record-breaking effort—mirroring the fate of Gaikwad’s previous international century.

Still, the 27-year-old’s composed, Kohli-esque knock has sparked fresh optimism about India’s evolving batting order, with his seamless adaptation to a new role drawing widespread praise.