Ruturaj Gaikwad is an Indian cricketer who plays for the Maharashtra team since 2016. In 2018, he was bought by Chennai Super Kings in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League for Rs. 20 lakhs. Ruturaj made it to the CSK team because of his exceptional performances during the state matches and T20s.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Ruturaj Gaikwad was born on Friday, 31 January 1997 (age 27 years; as of 2024) in Pune, Maharashtra. His zodiac sign is Aquarius. Ruturaj started playing at an early age and he used to practice and play at Vengsarkar Cricket Academy in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area in Pune. From there he began playing for the state team of Maharashtra and eventually he was selected for team India A and Chennai Super Kings.
Physical Appearance
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Height (approx.): 5’9″
Family
Parents & Siblings
There is not much information available about Ruturaj Gaikwad’s family.
Wife
He got married to Utkarsha Pawar on 3 June 2023.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Utkarsha Pawar’s wedding photo
The Mehndi ceremony happened on 1 June 2023.
Ruturaj Gaikwad with his wife Utkarsha Pawar (centre) during the Mehndi ceremony
Career
Ruturaj started playing for his cricket academy, Vengsarkar Cricket Academy in Pune. Soon after he started playing for the team of Maharashtra and he began playing for the U-16 and U-19 teams of Maharashtra. He made his debut in first-class cricket in the 2016-2017 Ranji Trophy for Maharashtra. In 2017, he made his Twenty20 debut for Maharashtra in the Inter-State Twenty20 Tournament. In February 2017, he made his List-A debut for Maharashtra to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In December 2018, he was bought by Chennai Super Kings during the auction. CSK bought him for the base price of Rs. 20 lakhs for the 2019 Indian Premier League. In August 2019, he was listed in the India Blue team’s squad for the 2019-2020 Duleep Trophy. In September 2020, Ruturaj played for Chennai Super Kings against Delhi Capitals where he scored 5 runs of 10 balls. Delhi Capitals won this match by 44 runs.
Ruturaj Gaikwad during a local cricket tournament of his academy
He made his T20I debut on 28 July 2021 against Sri Lanka at R. Premadasa Stadium. He made his ODI debut on 6 October 2022 against South Africa at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. He scored 43 runs in the penultimate over of Maharashtra’s innings against Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinal on 28 November 2022 against Shiva Singh; Gaikwad hit seven consecutive sixes after the fifth ball of the over turned out to be a no-ball and the free-hit also went for a six.
6⃣,6⃣,6⃣,6⃣,6⃣nb,6⃣,6⃣
Ruturaj Gaikwad smashes 4⃣3⃣ runs in one over! 🔥🔥
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/cIJsS7QVxK…#MAHvUP | #VijayHazareTrophy | #QF2 | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/j0CvsWZeES
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 28, 2022
He lead the Indian cricket team at the 2023 Asian Games, held in Hangzhou, China. Ahead of the 17th season of the IPL, Ruturaj Gaikwad took over the captaincy of the Chennai Super Kings from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. On 8 April 2024, he scored a half-century against the Kolkata Knight Riders, becoming the first CSK captain to do so in the last five years.
Facts/Trivia
- Ruturaj’s performance in the domestic matches helped him land a position in the India Blue team. He scored 187 runs (not out) for India A against Sri Lanka A in June 2019. This performance caught the attention of several people and it helped him become a part of the India Blue team’s squad.
Ruturaj Gaikwad receiving the Man of the Match award for his performance
- Ruturaj was selected by CSK to play in the Indian Premier League 2020 matches in UAE but he was tested positive for Covid-19 and couldn’t play the first match of CSK. Ruturaj returned for practice on 21 September 2020 after his recovery.
Ruturaj Gaikwad during a practice session after his recovery from Covid-19
- Ruturaj Gaikwad was added in place of Suresh Raina in the team as Raina had to leave the league due to unforeseen circumstances.
- When Ruturaj is off the field, in his leisure time he likes to play golf.
Ruturaj Gaikwad playing golf at a golf club
- Ruturaj is a big fan of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and he can be often seen with him during team practice sessions.
Ruturaj Gaikwad with Mahendra Singh Dhoni during IPL practice sessions
