Maharashtra skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad reached a major milestone in domestic cricket during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025 match against Mumbai. The right-handed batter has overtaken Virat Kohli to register the highest batting average by an Indian batter in List A cricket, among players with a minimum of 50 innings.

Kohli has long been one of the best batters in limited-overs cricket. Gaikwad has been scoring runs regularly for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has also delivered for the India team in different formats. His steady performances have made him a dependable top-order batter.

Ruturaj Gaikwad Overtakes Virat Kohli in List A Record

Ruturaj Gaikwad etched his name in the List A record books by overtaking Virat Kohli to record the highest batting average by an Indian, among players with at least 50 innings.

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He reached the milestone while playing for Maharashtra against Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Jaipur. Gaikwad scored 66 runs off 52 balls, including seven boundaries.

The Maharashtra skipper has scored 4,904 runs in 97 List A matches. He now averages 57.69, narrowly ahead of Kohli’s 57.67, who has 16,207 runs in 344 matches.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Performances for Team India in International Cricket

Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a fine century in the second ODI against South Africa at Raipur. He made 105 runs off 83 balls, including 12 fours and two sixes. However, his effort went in vain as South Africa won the match by four wickets and leveled the series.

The right-handed batter has played eight ODIs and scored 228 runs at an average of 28.50. Against South Africa, he has 141 runs in five innings. Gaikwad has also scored 79 runs in two matches against Australia and eight runs in one innings against the West Indies.

Gaikwad has registered two 50-plus scores in ODIs so far. Apart from his century in Raipur, his other notable knock was 71 against Australia in Mohali in 2023. He has shown the ability to play important innings at the international level.

Virat Kohli Last Seen In Action For Team India in South Africa ODIs

Virat Kohli delivered a dominant performance in the ODI series against South Africa, scoring 302 runs in three innings at an outstanding average of 151, including two centuries and one half-century. His best knock was 135 off 120 balls in the series opener at Ranchi.

Since making his ODI debut in 2008, Kohli has built a remarkable career. He has scored 14,557 runs in 296 innings at an average of 58.46, with 53 centuries and 76 half-centuries. The veteran batter is the second-highest run-getter in ODIs, behind Sachin Tendulkar.

Kohli will next be seen in action in the home ODI series against New Zealand. The three-match series begins on January 11 in Vadodara, followed by matches in Rajkot on January 14 and Indore on January 18.

Also read: Devdutt Padikkal all but seals India ODI squad spot for New Zealand series after domestic heroics

After the rising political pressure on the BCCI to impose a ban on Mustafizur Rahman and restrict the participation of Bangladeshi players in the IPL, the BCCI has finally issued a directive for the Kolkata Knight Riders to replace the Bangladeshi paceman from their squad.

The Kolkata Knight Riders picked Mustafizur Rahman in the IPL 2026 mini-auction for a whopping INR 9.20 crores. He has played for several franchises in the IPL, as he has played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Mumbai Indians, the Rajasthan Royals, the Delhi Capitals, and lastly the Chennai Super Kings.

BCCI issues directive for Mustafizur Rahman’s replacement from KKR

Mustafizur Rahman played for the Delhi Capitals last season, having replaced Jake Fraser-McGurk from the Capitals squad. The BCCI succumbed to the pressure built by the political leaders and masses of India, and hence issued the directive to release him from the squad ahead of the IPL.

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Mustafizur Rahman has been released by the Knight Riders management, and hence, they will be allowed to side along with other players who can replace him in the KKR squad.

Top 7 pacers who can replace Mustafizur Rahman for KKR:

7. Naveen Ul Haq

Afghan pacer Naveen Ul Haq has played in the IPL for the Lucknow Super Giants back in IPL 2023 and 2024. The pacer has picked 25 wickets in the history of the IPL. He went unsold in the previous auction and in the recent mini-auction as well. The pacer can come in handy on the KKR side and will be a good replacement for Mustafizur Rahman in the death overs.

6. Alzarri Joseph

West Indies paceman Alzarri Joseph rose to fame with a stunning performance in the IPL. Making his IPL debut in 2019, he picked 6 wickets in a single game for the Mumbai Indians. Later in 2022 and 2023, he played for the Gujarat Titans and picked 7 wickets in every season. Joseph is also a stunning replacement option for the Knights.

5. William O’Rourke

The lanky speedster from New Zealand, William O’Rourke, has been rising as a white-ball talent. Rourke played in the IPL for the Lucknow Super Giants last season as a replacement in the side. The young pacer is quick and can deliver smartly with the new ball for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

4. Gerald Coetzee

South African paceman Gerald Coetzee has not been named in the ICC T20 World Cup squad, but could make it to the Kolkata Knight Riders squad as a replacement for the Bangladesh star. Coetzee played for the Gujarat Titans last season but went for too many runs and his uneconomical spells left him unsold in the auction.

3. Shamar Joseph

Shamar Joseph, the West Indies speedster, has been ruled out due to an injury since the home series against Australia. Shamar Joseph was part of the Lucknow Super Giants camp last season but did not get adequate chances to make it count in the IPL. Joseph went unsold in the player auction in 2026, and if he recovers from injury, he can replace Mustafizur in the KKR camp.

2. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Fazalhaq Farooqi is the best possible option in this list of pacers to replace the Bangladesh paceman Fazalhaq Farooqi. Farooqi played for the Rajasthan Royals last season, and in the few opportunities he had, he proved to be a very effective and economical bowler. Farooqi can be the like-for-like replacement for Mustafizur Rahman.

1. Tom Curran

The England bowling all-rounder Tom Curran has not played for England for a long time, but despite this, he has turned out to be an exceptional talent across T20 leagues. He has performed very well in the last few years in the CPL, BBL, ILT20, and The Hundred, or any other league he has played in. Curran can turn out to be convincing with both the bat and ball, which can be an advantage for the Knight Riders.

ALSO READ: Mustafizur Rahman publicly shares emotional message as BCCI forces KKR to kick him out of squad

The timing could not have been better for Sanju Samson. The Indian star was playing for Kerala in the fifth round of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and produced a commanding century against Jharkhand. This innings would put him back on the radar of the selectors for the ODIs, just ahead of the team selections for the New Zealand ODI tour.

The Indian team has been considering replacing the backup wicket-keeper in the Indian team. Rishabh Pant has been playing in the role for a long time, but has not played in a single game, and hence, the selectors are eyeing someone who can also have an alternative role other than replacing Rahul in the Indian XI.

The change is likely to be made from the upcoming series against New Zealand, which starts on the 11th of January, and the squad is most likely to be announced anytime by this week.

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Sanju Samson issues ultimatum for Ajit Agarkar with VHT hundred

During a record chase of 312 runs against Jharkhand, Kerala have managed to chase the target with ease, with 8 wickets remaining in their innings. The Indian wicket-keeper opened the innings for Kerala alongside the skipper, Rohan Kunnummal.

The two openers gave Kerala a stunning start in the match with a stunning 212-run opening stand, with Kunnummal playing the destructive role in the team, as he scored his 124 runs off just 78 balls, with 8 fours and 11 sixes.

Sanju Samson assured their control in the innings and managed to show his intent, alongside adding stability to the innings, as the knock he played would force the selectors to notice him on the eve of the squad selection. Sanju Samson managed to score 101 runs off just 95 balls, with 9 fours and 3 sixes.

Sanju Samson’s century comes after a quiet outing for Ishan Kishan

Sanju Samson’s century has come at a time when the most likely candidate to replace Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, had a quieter outing with his state team, Jharkhand. Kishan has been in some stellar form since the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which he continued into the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Kishan recently forced his way back into the ICC T20 World Cup squad for India; however, in the same match where Samson scored his century, Kishan was dismissed for 21 runs off just 21 balls. Kishan has amassed 933 runs in 27 ODI matches at an average of 42.41 and a strike rate of 102. He also has a double century for India in ODI cricket.

He is in the mix to replace Rishabh Pant as the backup wicket-keeper alongside KL Rahul in the side. Rahul has turned out to be an irreplaceable gloveman in the Indian ODI side.

Rishabh Pant reminds all of his white-ball value with his Vijay Hazare Trophy form

Rishabh Pant, the left-handed wicket-keeper batsman, has not played a single ODI game for India since the last ODI against Sri Lanka in 2024. Yet he has been part of all ODI series for India as a backup option and also won the Champions Trophy alongside the Indian team, despite not featuring in a single game.

Rishabh Pant has been captaining Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His first half-century came in the second game of the tournament while chasing a total, and then recently he backed it with another 72 off just 45 balls against Services.

Pant has also played in 31 ODI matches for the Indian team and has managed to score 871 runs with a strike rate of 106 and an average of 33.5. With KL Rahul as the main wicket-keeper and a very fine batter for India in ODIs, Kishan, Dhruv Jurel, and now Sanju Samson’s return to form have added wings to the Indian side.

ALSO READ: Ruturaj Gaikwad breaks Virat Kohli’s all-time record, becomes India’s No.1 List A batter

Desert Vipers will be up against MI Emirates in the final of the International League T20. In this article, we determine the DV vs MIE Weather Report and Pitch Report of Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the final game of the tournament.

DV vs MIE Weather Report, Pitch Report Of Dubai- ILT20 2025-26, Final:

DV vs MIE Weather Report of Dubai:

There is no chance of rain during the DV vs MIE game in Dubai. The maximum temperature is predicted to be 28°C, while the minimum temperature would be 18°C.

DV vs MIE Pitch Report of Dubai International Cricket Stadium:

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium should dish out a surface that is good for batting and has something in it for the bowlers as well in the final of the fourth season of the ILT20 between Desert Vipers and MI Emirates.

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The pitch is expected to assist the batters with the ball coming nicely on the bat when it is new, i.e., in the first six overs, and the batters will have to make the most of it with the field restrictions also in play.

The batting might become a bit difficult as the match progresses, with the pitch slowing only if the conditions remain dry.

If dew decides to play its part, it will be the batters who will get the advantage of it as the ball will start skidding, making batting a lot easier than it could be in normal conditions.

As far as the fast bowlers are concerned, they can get some swing upfront in both innings, and that is the period when they can make the most of it by picking up wickets.

The spinners, on the other hand, will have their task cut out if the seam of the ball gets wet, as gripping it will be difficult.

Along with the spinners, the pacers will also feel the brunt of the ball getting wet, especially in the final five overs of the innings, as they won’t have many options up their sleeves to rely on, with the yorker becoming ineffective as a viable weapon.

That is the reason why bowlers would hope to get dry conditions for them to have a say in the game and for an even contest between bat and ball

Due to the same reason, the team that wins the toss in all likelihood will opt to bowl first in the game in question, as defending a score won’t be easy.

The team batting first in the DV vs MIE game should look to score at least 180-190 runs and rely on their bowlers to pick early wickets in the second innings.

Conclusion

Desert Vipers would back their players to put on a strong performance in their respective departments in order to challenge the MI Emirates in the final.

MI Emirates, on the other hand, would like to carry the form that they showed in the eliminator in the all-important game against the Desert Vipers and clinch their second ILT20 title.