Fresh from his ODI heroics in South Africa, Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to return to familiar territory as he takes charge of Maharashtra for the opening phase of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, beginning December 24. The India batter will lead the side in their first three matches as domestic cricket in the country shifts focus firmly to the 50-over format.
The Maharashtra Cricket Association unveiled their 18-member squad on December 20, confirming Gaikwad as captain. Maharashtra have been placed in Elite Group C and will open their campaign against Punjab in Jaipur, with Himachal Pradesh, Mumbai, Uttarakhand, Goa, Chhattisgarh and Sikkim also in the group.
Gaikwad’s return to the state setup comes on the back of a landmark moment in his international career. The right-hander recently struck his maiden ODI century during the South Africa series, reinforcing his growing importance in India’s white-ball plans. With a brief window away from national duty, Maharashtra will look to lean heavily on his form and leadership.
The squad also features Prithvi Shaw, who has switched domestic allegiance from Mumbai to Maharashtra this season in a bid to revive his domestic fortunes. Shaw captained the side in Gaikwad’s absence during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and made an immediate impact with a brisk 66 off 36 balls against Hyderabad. His move, combined with his recent IPL switch to Delhi Capitals, marks a reset phase in his career.
Experience within the group is further strengthened by Jalaj Saxena, Rahul Tripathi and Rajneesh Gurbani, while youngsters such as Arshin Kulkarni, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Siddhesh Veer and Vicky Ostwal provide depth. The selection reflects Maharashtra’s effort to balance immediate results with long-term planning.
Although Maharashtra narrowly missed out on the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League on net run rate, they remain well-placed across formats. The side reached the semi-finals of the previous Vijay Hazare Trophy and currently sit unbeaten in Ranji Trophy Elite Group B with 18 points, second only to Karnataka.
With Gaikwad back leading from the front, Maharashtra will aim to build on that consistency and mount another strong Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign when they face Punjab on December 24 in Jaipur.
Maharashtra’s Vijay Hazare squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Prithvi Shaw, Arshin Kulkarni, Siddhesh Veer, Anket Bawane, Rahul Tripathi, Saurabh Nawale (wk), Vicky Ostwal, Jalaj Saxena, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Rajneesh Gurbani, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Prashant Solanki, Nikhil Naik (wk), Pradeep Dadhe, Siddharth Mhatre, Sachin Dhas, Satyajeet Bachhav.
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