After Maharashtra defeated Chandigarh by a huge margin of 144 runs in the Ranji Trophy, Ruturaj Gaikwad was praised for his performances during and after the match. Being officially awarded the Player of the Match for his brilliant showings in both innings, Gaikwad decided to give the honour to Prithvi Shaw as well whose blazing double century was instrumental in the victory.
Gaikwad started the first innings of Maharashtra in a very tricky situation with a methodical 116 and after that, he scored the second innings’ unbeaten 36 to keep his team dominating. But, it was absolutely a phenomenal 222 of Shaw in the second innings that made the match completely tipped to Maharashtra. His double hundred which contained only 141 balls and is the third-fastest in Ranji Trophy history demonstrated basically a fiery combination of strokeplay and precise execution. The performance forced Chandigarh to face unbearable scoreboard pressure which eventually resulted in their downfall on the last day.
Shared Glory, True Spirit 🫡
— Maharashtra Cricket Association (@MahaCricket) October 28, 2025
Ruturaj Gaikwad shared his Player of the Match award with Prithvi Shaw, recognising Shaw’s sensational 222-run knock that set up Maharashtra’s victory.
A gesture that speaks volumes — teamwork, respect, and mutual excellence at its best.#mca… pic.twitter.com/yMWHsW7Miq
Prithvi Shaw’s double century marks a powerful comeback, as Ruturaj Gaikwad share the award
It was a friendly gesture from Gaikwad that showed the spirit of sportsmanship and fraternity among the Maharashtra players when he called Shaw up to hand over the Player of the Match award. The Maharashtra Cricket Association's social media post, featuring the moment, received a lot of love from the fans and cricket experts.
It was just correct for Shaw to come back with such a powerful innings. After he started the season with a duck against Kerala, he bounced back immediately with a fifty and later this explosive double century, respectively. It also broke a record of almost 20 months since his last first-class hundred. The 25-year-old, who has recently shifted from Mumbai to Maharashtra, was probably looking for a new beginning following a difficult period of injuries and criticism of his form. His revitalized display is a sure sign of his renewed focus and determination in domestic cricket.
With Gaikwad and Shaw both hitting the ball hard, Maharashtra has done a brilliant job of starting their Ranji Trophy campaign and exhibiting their batting depth and a delightful new combination for the future matches.
