Ruturaj Gaikwad's Stellar 184 Propels West Zone in Duleep Trophy Clash

Ruturaj Gaikwad played a heroic knock, scoring 184 runs to anchor West Zone's innings to 363/6 against Central Zone on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy semifinal. His innings, coming off just 206 balls, compensated for early wickets and was pivotal in their fightback.

After early dismissals of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harvik Desai, Gaikwad demonstrated impeccable timing and footwork, forging a significant stand with Aarya Desai to stabilize the innings. Despite losing partners quickly, Gaikwad's aggressive play against Central's spinners, including Harsh Dubey and Saransh Jain, was a key highlight.

Gaikwad and Tanush Kotian's 148-run partnership for the sixth wicket was crucial in pushing Central Zone on the back foot. Although Gaikwad fell just shy of a double century, his contribution was vital, leaving West in a promising position as the day's play ended.

(With inputs from agencies.)