Ruturaj Gaikwad's Heroics Lead West Zone to 363/6 in Duleep Trophy Semifinal

Bengaluru, Sep 4 (PTI) — Ruturaj Gaikwad delivered a magnificent 184-run innings for West Zone, recovering from the setbacks of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer, pushing the team to a strong 363 for six at the end of day one in the Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone. Despite early struggles, Gaikwad held firm, coming to the crease after openers Jaiswal (4) and Harvik Desai (1) fell quickly to the Central attack. Jaiswal was trapped leg before by Khaleel Ahmed, and Desai caught by Yash Rathod off Deepak Chahar. Gaikwad's resilience shone as he built a vital 90-run partnership with Aarya Desai to steady the innings. In command against Central's spinners, Gaikwad amassed runs with precise cuts, collecting 15 boundaries with nearly a century of runs through those efforts. His first 50 came in 85 balls, accelerating to 100 in 131 deliveries. After reaching his hundred, Gaikwad and Tanush Kotian combined for a crucial 148-run stand for the sixth wicket, which drove West Zone into a commanding position. Although Gaikwad was stumped at 184, his efforts positioned his side effectively by stumps. Kotian and captain Shardul Thakur ensured no further damage as they saw off the day.

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