CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is all set for another stint in a leadership role with Maharashtra in the upcoming season of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The news was announced by the official handle of the Maharashtra Cricket Association through a social media post. In the post, the MCA announced its squad for the upcoming domestic T20 tournament, naming Ruturaj as captain.
Ruturaj Gaikwad to captain Maharashtra in SMAt 2025-26
Gaikwad will head into the tournament with great numbers behind him. He was recently named the player of the series in a 3-match ODI series against South Africa, where he scored 210 runs in 3 innings, including 1 hundred and 1 fifty.
In the longest format of the game, too, he has been in phenomenal form. In just 4 innings, he has already scored 298 runs, at an average of 149 and a strike rate of 69. These runs include 2 fifties and 1 century, with his highest score of 116 runs coming against Chandigarh in an important game.
Along with Gaikwad, the team also features some great youngsters, including Prithvi Shaw, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, and Ramakrishna Ghosh of CSK. Mukesh Choudhary will spearhead the bowling line up.
Maharashtra will play its group‑stage fixtures at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, and will start their campaign against Jammu and Kashmir on November 26.
Ruturaj Gaikwad SMAT stats
| Games | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Fifties | Hundreds | Highest Score |
| 50 | 47 | 1,343 | 35.34 | 142.3 | 9 | 1 | 102 |
Ruturaj Gaikwad has phenomenal stats in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has featured in 50 games in this tournament and played 47 innings, in which he scored 1343 runs, averaging at 35 and striking at 142. He has scored 9 fifties in this tournament, with 97 being his highest score.
Last season, he played 5 games for his side and scored 123 runs at a strike rate of 180. Here’s his inning breakdown from the last season: 1, 19, 4, 2, 97.
Gaikwad as captain
Ruturaj Gaikwad plays a critical role as captain of Chennai Super Kings, bringing batting prowess and fresh leadership to their T20 ambitions. In the Indian Premier League, he became the first CSK skipper to score a century—108* in 2024.
His captaincy record stands at 14 matches with 7 wins and 7 losses. Now, he is set to lead the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for the Maharashtra Cricket Association, reinforcing his growth as a T20 leader across formats.
