Ruturaj Gaikwad made his name as an opener. Seventeen List A centuries in eighty-seven innings. An average of fifty-six. Those numbers came from the top of the order. Every single hundred? Opening. For Maharashtra and Chennai Super Kings, that was his spot. That was where he lived.
But Indian cricket has no room at the top. Openers are fixed across all formats. So Gaikwad waited. And he had to learn a new skill. He had to show he could bat where the team needed, not where he preferred.
The Elbow Injury That Stalled Everything
During IPL 2025, a nasty elbow injury benched Gaikwad for nearly five months. That’s forever in cricket. Form vanishes, selectors move on, new faces appear. He did his rehab silently. Played a few matches in the Buchi Babu tournament to find some rhythm. Then came the real challenge – a Duleep Trophy semi-final straight after his break. No easing in, just straight into first-class cricket against quality attacks.
He hammered 184 runs while the rest of the top six could not even reach forty. That knock told everyone the injury was history and the batsman was still world class. He was back.
Winning the Selection Battle
Shreyas Iyer’s injury created a gap. The selectors had choices. Tilak Varma has been waiting. Rishabh Pant can bat anywhere and win matches. They picked Gaikwad instead. It was a bold call. They backed his consistency and his calm head. But he had to prove them right with runs, not words.
Walking Into a Mess
India lost both openers inside the powerplay. South Africa’s bowlers were all over them. Gaikwad walked in at number four with the game in crisis. The pressure was crushing. The ball was still darting around.
His start was ugly. Jansen tested him with short balls. Gaikwad looked shaky. He played and missed. The ball flew off the edge but landed safe. He survived, but it was not pretty. The dressing room would have been tense. One more wicket and the match could have collapsed.
Spinners Brought Him Alive
Once the fast bowlers finished, the spinners came on. This is where Gaikwad changed gears. He has always been strong against spin. He started sweeping hard and flat. He danced down the track with real intent.
Maharaj, South Africa’s most reliable spinner, bowled the 28th over. Gaikwad destroyed him. First, a flat sweep that raced to the fence. Then he charged down, got to the pitch, and launched a six over midwicket. The pressure broke Maharaj. He dragged one short on middle stump. Gaikwad pulled it over mid-on for four more. Sixteen runs in one over. The match had turned. Even Kohli at the other end was shouting and clapping.
Batting With the Master
Kohli was in his usual zone, but he needed a partner. Gaikwad became that man. They added 195 runs for the third wicket. They ran hard. They found boundaries. They never let the bowlers settle. Kohli has seen every batting talent in the world. He watched Gaikwad grow into his role. The cover drives, the midwicket whips, the smart footwork against spin – these were not opener’s shots. These were the shots of a proper middle order player who knows how to build and accelerate.
List A Monster: The Stats Behind Gaikwad’s First ODI Ton
When Gaikwad reached his century, the emotion exploded. He jumped high. The stadium roared. Kohli ran over and hugged him hard. This was not just another hundred. It was his first in ODIs. More importantly, his first List A century while batting in the middle order. He had answered every question.
The stats are ridiculous. Out of all batters with 4000 List A runs worldwide, only three average better than Gaikwad. One was his partner in that huge stand. When he got out, India were 257 for 5 in the 36th over. He had set up a total of 400.
Reinventing the Technique: Adjusting for the Middle Order
Opening is about facing the new ball, playing freely with fielding restrictions, setting the tone. Middle order is different. You walk in after wickets have fallen. The ball may be old but the pressure is at its peak. You might need to rebuild or you might need to hit out. Every innings is different.
Gaikwad had to unlearn some habits. He could not just drive on the up. He had to be choosier. He had to rotate strike early. He had to find boundaries against spin in the middle overs. These skills need time. He worked on them in the nets. He asked coaches. He watched videos of middle order legends.
The Brutal Reality of Indian Cricket
Chennai Super Kings fans love Gaikwad. When he got injured, they filled social media with support. But Indian cricket does not run on fan love. The bench strength is brutal. You can score domestic triple hundreds and still sit out. Gaikwad knew this. One failure in this middle order chance could send him back to domestic cricket for a year. The pressure was massive.
South Africa is not easy. Their bowlers test you in different ways. Jansen with bounce, Maharaj with spin, Ngidi with pace. Gaikwad did not just survive. He dominated. That is what selectors remember.
Looking Forward
This century will be remembered as the one that announced Gaikwad as a complete batter. Not just a one-format opener, but a player who can slot in anywhere. The Indian team management loves versatility. In long tournaments, you need players who can bat in three positions if required.
The next few months are key. If he scores more runs, he becomes a regular. If he fails, the selectors might turn back to Tilak Varma or Pant. That is how Indian cricket works. But Gaikwad has shown his quality. He has shown he can adapt.
From the 2016-17 Vijay Hazare Trophy where he first turned heads, to hugging Kohli after his maiden ODI hundred, Gaikwad has travelled far. The journey has been slow, sometimes frustrating, but always focused.
The best part? He is still young. If he can own this middle order role, he might become indispensable. That is the dream. And today, he showed the dream is alive.