Maharashtra batter Ruturaj Gaikwad delivered a spectacular performance in the 2025 Buchi Babu Invitational. He hit four sixes in a single over against Himachal Pradesh. The 28-year-old played a crucial knock of 133 runs off 144 balls. His powerful hitting shifted the momentum in Maharashtra’s favour. Arshin Kulkarni supported him well and scored a century. Together they built a 220-run partnership that strengthened the team’s innings.

Gaikwad had a slow start in the tournament with scores of 1 and 11 in the first round against Chhattisgarh. He skipped Maharashtra’s second match against the TNCA President’s XI before returning in the third-round fixture against Himachal Pradesh.

The Chennai Super Kings captain was last seen for India in a T20I against Zimbabwe in July 2024. He missed the IPL 2025 due to an elbow injury and gave the CSK captaincy to MS Dhoni. Gaikwad played only five matches for CSK, scoring 122 runs at an average of 24.40.

Recently, he travelled with India A to England but did not get a chance to play. He had also signed with Yorkshire County Cricket Club for five County Championship games and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. However, he withdrew from the deal due to personal reasons.