Ruturaj Gaikwad will be leading the Maharashtra squad in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25. Known for his calm and steady leadership skills, Gaikwad will be aiming to guide his team to glory in this season’s T20 tournament.
After missing out previous the tournament on the knockouts, Maharashtra will be looking to bounce back stronger with a pack of strong players.
Gaikwad will be leading the side with prominent players like Ankeet Bawane, Rahul Tripathi, and Mukesh Choudhary by his side.
🏏 Presenting the Maharashtra Squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25! 💪 Led by our dynamic captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, this team is ready to shine! 🌟#maharashtracricket #teammaharashtra #cricket #SMAT2024 pic.twitter.com/VrFPHLa4mc
— Maharashtra Cricket Association (@MahaCricket) November 19, 2024
Nikhil Naik and Dhanraj Shinde are the two wicketkeeping options, while Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Prasanth Solanki will crucial in the bowling department.
Being placed in the challenging group E, they will be facing some tough teams like Kerala, Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Services and Nagaland.
The 27-year-old has played 6 ODIs and 23 T20Is for India and has also been named as the successor of MS Dhoni as CSK captain ahead of the 2024 season and has been retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
With the pressure being put on the side, Gaikwad will be a perfect choice to handle the head and he’ll be looking to inspire his teammates to bring the best from his team.
If they perform well they can even make it to the knockout stages. Mumbai will be starting their campaign on November 23 against Nagaland at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
