In a thrilling Elite Group C clash of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 at Dr. Soni Stadium in Jaipur on January 8, 2026, Maharashtra elected to bat first against Goa. Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Maharashtra skipper, anchored the innings with a magnificent unbeaten 134 off 131 balls, featuring eight fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 102.29. Fans erupted in frenzy online, hailing his knock as a masterclass amid early collapses.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s record-shattering hundred against Goa in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26
Gaikwad turned the tide single-handedly, smashing his way to an unbeaten 134 that propelled Maharashtra to 249/7 in 50 overs. Facing a precarious 2/3 after quick dismissals of Prithvi Shaw (1), Arshin Kulkarni (0), and Ankit Bawne (0), Gaikwad rebuilt with grit, reaching his century in style. His aggressive shot-making, including lofted covers and powerful pulls, silenced Goa’s bowlers like Vasuki Koushik (3/38), who struck early.
This innings marked Gaikwad’s latest Vijay Hazare gem, building on his storied domestic form where he has notched joint most tons, including a double century earlier in the tournament. Social media buzzed with “GOAT” chants as clips of his sixes went viral, underscoring his evolution from IPL star to List A powerhouse. Maharashtra’s fightback owed everything to his composure under pressure.
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Here’s how fans reacted:
🚨 RUTURAJ GAIKWAD SMASHED 134* (131) IN THE VIJAY HAZARE TROPHY. 🚨
– Maharashtra were 52/6 at one stage, then the captain stepped up.
Rutu, despite playing such crucial knocks, will be ignored by the selectors. 💔 pic.twitter.com/Wj2RZto3U3
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 8, 2026
TOUGH TRACK BULLY – RUTURAJ GAIKWAD 😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/6ceQKnEZOg
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 8, 2026
If someone asks who Ruturaj Gaikwad is, show them this picture. pic.twitter.com/D2kvbynwjH
— Sergio (@SergioCSKK) January 8, 2026
Ruturaj Gaikwad delivered a masterclass against Goa, scoring an unbeaten 134 off just 131 balls ✨#RuturajGaikwad #VijayHazareTrophy pic.twitter.com/EAdcTfEzSE
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 8, 2026
Meet Ruturaj Gaikwad :
– Can bat as opener
– Can bat at no. 4
– Can be a anchor
– Can accelerate whenever needed
– Bats in death overs like rohit sharma
– Always performs on tough pitches
– Not a flat track bully pic.twitter.com/b3MbAQyzt1— Yash MSdian ™️ 🦁 (@itzyash07) January 8, 2026
🚨 Fastest to reach 5K List A Runs :-
95* innings – Ruturaj Gaikwad.
97 – Babar Azam.
101 – Hasim Amla.
114 – Sir Viv Richards.
114 – Virat Kohli.
114 – Shai Hope.
115 – David Warner.The Prince of World Cricket – Ruturaj. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2ZQmxrqAxQ
— Pratyush Halder (@pratyush_no7) January 8, 2026
Not a single player could even score 10 runs in top 6 & Ruturaj Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 134 runs, this is what Ruturaj Gaikwad has been doing in List A cricket!!
Now averaging above 57 at 100+ strike rate, proved himself as opener as well as middle order batter.
Should have… pic.twitter.com/Mxy2WdP5qy
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) January 8, 2026
100 for Ruturaj Gaikwad. 106* off 124 balls at a strike rate of 85 when the whole team scored only 208 runs. Came in at 5 and formed two good partnerships with number 8 & 9 batters to put a decent score on the board. Tough situation bully. pic.twitter.com/2amcdwCX7u
— Heisenberg ☢ (@internetumpire) January 8, 2026
Ruturaj Gaikwad in VHT 2025-26 (till now) :
7 Innings
335* runs
67* avg
106 Strike RateThe Undisputed King of List A cricket. ❤️pic.twitter.com/Nhk5JZigJp
— Srijan (@LegendDhonii) January 8, 2026
🚨 Ruturaj has surpassed players like Kohli, Sir Viv Richards, Babar, Amla, Hope, Warner to become the fastest to reach 5K List A Runs. 🔥
It’s India’s loss that this guy isn’t a regular in the National team. 💔 🇮🇳pic.twitter.com/jjtIkEuUVo
— Pratyush Halder (@pratyush_no7) January 8, 2026
Maharashtra puts up a fighting total in first innings
Maharashtra scraped together a fighting 249/7 despite an early collapse, as Gaikwad’s unbeaten 134 held the innings together, finding solid support from Vicky Ostwal’s patient 53, scored off 82 balls. Rajvardhan Hangargekar added a sharp finish, smashing 32* from just 19 deliveries to lift the tempo to 4.98 an over. The defining alliance was the 96-run stand for the seventh wicket, before Ostwal departed at 158/7, late in the 42nd over.
The innings began disastrously, with wickets falling at 1-2, 2-2 and 3-2, before further losses at 16, 25, and 52. Maharashtra also benefited from seven extras, including two no-balls and five wides. Goa’s attack worked hard, with Arjun Tendulkar, Deepraj Gaonkar, Darshan Misal and Lalit Yadav sharing the damage, but Gaikwad remained unmoved. At the interval, Goa faced a stiff chase.
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