
India A started the South Africa A The tour kicked off with a memorable win in the first unofficial ODI at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot on November 13, 2025, winning by three wickets in a thrilling contest. Ruturaj GaikwadBrilliant century of. The much-awaited IND-A vs SA-A opener showcased rising stars and tested their nerves under the lights, leaving fans enthralled with thrilling chase chases till the final over.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s masterclass century helps India A chase down the target
After South Africa A posted a strong score of 285 runs for 9 wickets, India A faced a daunting challenge and needed 286 runs from 50 overs. The chase started on a positive note Abhishek SharmaThe quick innings of 31 runs in 25 balls already gave momentum. Bjorn Fortuin Hit him to remove it quickly. Under pressure at 64 for 1, Gaikwad took charge, displaying his trademark composure and timing.
Gaikwad’s innings was a mix of shrewdness and responsibility – he faced disciplined spells from Fortuin and. tian van vuurenSmartly rotated the strike, and punished loose deliveries to keep the scoreboard ticking. Despite wickets falling around him Riyan Parag 8 more for the captain Tilak Verma Gaikwad took over the innings at 39 runs. Reaching his century in 121 balls, he stepped up when required and played a brilliant inning of 117 runs in 129 balls with the help of 12 fours.
His partnership with Tilak maintained composure in the middle overs and made important contributions Nitish Kumar Reddy (26 of 37) and Nishant Sindhu (not out on 29 off 26) kept the demand rate under control. India A’s innings saw a steady fall of wickets, including a crucial moment when Van Vuuren dismissed Gaikwad in the 41st over with the score at 219, giving South Africa A a ray of hope.
India A wins series opener against South Africa A with last over drama
With Gaikwad gone and the required rate rising, South Africa A stepped up their fielding and bowling otniel bartman And Fortuin picked up the pace and kept the lower order under control. After Reddy fell at 284 with six runs needed from five balls, the pressure was at its peak – yet Sindhu and Harshit Rana Kept them calm. Sindhu’s crucial run in the last over and Rana’s restrained innings sealed the victory with three balls remaining.
Earlier, South Africa A had scored 16 runs for 4 wickets thanks to a strong innings of 90 runs. delano potgieter and a faster 77 diane forresterFortuin scored a crucial 59, taking his total despite aggressive spells Arshdeep Singh (2/59), Rana (2/49), and Prasidh Krishna (1/57). Their late fightback set up a challenging score, but India A’s top order and lower-middle composure overcame the effort.
Gaikwad’s heroic century earned him the Player of the Match award and fans on social media praised his leadership and extraordinary temperament in difficult moments. The clash laid the foundation for an entertaining series in which India A took a 1-0 lead thanks to Gaikwad’s brilliance and the team’s courageous performance in Rajkot.
Also read: Highest and lowest team totals in India-South Africa Test
Here’s how fans reacted:
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s brilliant innings against South A in the first unofficial ODI 🏏🏻#ruturajgaikwad #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/oODcRhypUM
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 14 November 2025
Ruturaj Gaikwad in List A cricket
84 – Innings
17 – Fifties
17 – hundreds#ruturajgaikwad pic.twitter.com/464dGO7f2A– Cric Insights (@TheCricInsights) 14 November 2025
Elite. gut feeling. A quiet leader with a fearless game.
Ruturaj Gaikwad steps out on the field today as the vice-captain of India A, set to take on South Africa A. From composure under pressure to class in every shot – Ruturaj continues to prove, he is ready for the big… pic.twitter.com/0wJu3Xqzs2
-Jitendra Kumar (@jitenda60203698) 14 November 2025
Ruturaj Gaikwad century 🫶🏻❤️ pic.twitter.com/8kGVYl9oxI
—Prab7at! (@Prab7at) 14 November 2025
Cricketers with 4000+ List A runs, 55+ average and 100+ SR in history: 1
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 50 over figures are supernatural.
Average: 57
SR:101
17 100, 17 50
130 sixes in 84 innings
1.5 sixes/in: Best six-hitting ratio in List AIt has exceptional stability, high speed scoring, a… pic.twitter.com/SFFIB3Vq0w
– Mother (@srinimama16) 14 November 2025
Ruturaj Gaikwad has earned 3 Player of the Match awards in the last month: against Kerala and Chandigarh in the Ranji Trophy, and against South Africa A. pic.twitter.com/KLcvgMKfSf
– Cricket News (@cricketers_news) 14 November 2025
Ruturaj Gaikwad – POTUS vs South Africa A in the first match. pic.twitter.com/RN1VhKUFgF
-Sambhaav11 (@Sambhaav11Team) 14 November 2025
India’s elite List-A batsman 🔥🇮🇳
Highest List-A average (minimum 3,000 runs):
57.01- Cheteshwar Pujara (5,759 runs)
56.71* – Ruturaj Gaikwad (4,441 runs)
56.66 – Virat Kohli (15,697 runs)#ruthrajgaikwad pic.twitter.com/2mfZosUkVI– Rana Ahmed (@RanaAhmad056) 14 November 2025
Ayush Mhatre
sanju samson
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Shivam Dubey
dewald brevis
CSK got proper beasts in the form of their top 5 batsmen. It’s scary but not for us🔥🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/BXi4qcXLfI– JJ (@JJhuMybe) 14 November 2025
Ruturaj Gaikwad in tremendous form 🔥
-POTM vs Kerala (Ranji Trophy)
-POTM vs Chandigarh (Ranji Trophy)
-POTM vs South Africa A3 Player of the Match awards in the last 1 month.
The man is on a different level!#ruthrajgaikwad #INDAVSAA pic.twitter.com/4otebvNpX9– Rana Ahmed (@RanaAhmad056) 14 November 2025
Also read: Top 5 highest individual scores in India vs South Africa Test ahead of 2025 series


