Ruturaj Gaikwad Hundred: Ruturaj Gaikwad performed brilliantly in the second ODI between India and South Africa. He scored the first century of his ODI career. Ruturaj made a comeback after a disappointing first match.

Young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad performed brilliantly in the second match of the three-match ODI series between India and South Africa, scoring his first ODI century. He was given a chance in this series due to Shreyas Iyer's injury, and he capitalized on it with a memorable innings in Raipur.

Facing trolling and making a great comeback

It was a disappointing start to the series for Ruturaj Gaikwad. He completely flopped in the first ODI in Ranchi, scoring just 8 runs off 14 balls. This poor performance led to widespread trolling on social media. However, Ruturaj shrugged off all this criticism and made a remarkable comeback in the second ODI. He played a historic innings, displaying a perfect blend of restraint and aggression against a strong South African bowling attack, proving himself once again.

First century of his career and its impact on the match

Ruturaj scored this century at a time when it was crucial to lay the foundation for a big score after Team India's star batsman Rohit Sharma was dismissed early. He, along with veteran batsman Virat Kohli, steadied the innings and scored quickly. This century is not just a personal achievement for Ruturaj, but also a testament to his mental toughness: despite the disappointment of the first match, he managed to score such a big score under pressure. His innings helped Team India move towards a huge total.

Ruturaj's innings has put India in a position to take a decisive 2-0 lead in the series. This innings shows that Ruturaj has the potential to be a long-term player for Team India. This century has vindicated the selectors' faith in him. However, he will need to play more such innings to remain in Team India's squad.

PC:NBT