Ruturaj Dashrat Gaikwad is an Indian international cricketer and right-handed opening batter known for his elegant strokeplay and consistency in limited-overs cricket. He also bowls right-arm off-spin occasionally. Gaikwad represents India internationally, plays domestic cricket for Maharashtra, and captains the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Gaikwad made his T20I debut for India on 28 July 2021 against Sri Lanka and later made his ODI debut on 6 October 2022 against South Africa. He has since played as a top-order batter in India’s limited-overs squads.
In T20 internationals, he scored a *century (123)**, becoming one of the few Indian batters to score a T20I hundred. In ODIs, he also scored a century (105), demonstrating his ability to perform in both formats.
Gaikwad made his first-class debut for Maharashtra in the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy, and also made his List A and T20 debuts in 2017. He first gained major attention during the 2016–17 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he scored 444 runs and finished among the top run-scorers in the tournament.
In the Indian Premier League, Gaikwad plays for Chennai Super Kings, making his debut in 2020. His breakthrough season came in IPL 2021, where he scored 635 runs, won the Orange Cap as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, and helped Chennai win the title. He also won the Emerging Player of the Season award that year.
He was also part of Chennai Super Kings’ IPL title-winning teams in 2021 and 2023, and later became the team captain, reflecting his leadership role in franchise cricket.
Gaikwad is known for his technically sound batting and elegant strokeplay, particularly as an opening batter in limited-overs cricket. His style focuses on timing and placement rather than raw power, allowing him to build innings while maintaining a steady scoring rate.
He has also set domestic records, including multiple centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and holds records for Maharashtra in List A cricket.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is an Indian opening batter known for his elegant batting style and consistency in domestic and franchise cricket. From his breakthrough IPL season in 2021 to becoming captain of Chennai Super Kings and representing India internationally, Gaikwad has established himself as one of India’s prominent top-order batters in modern limited-overs cricket.