Ruturaj Gaikwad becomes fastest Indian to reach 2,000 IPL runs

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad reached a significant milestone in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday by surpassing 2,000 IPL runs during a match against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium. With this achievement, Gaikwad becomes the fourth CSK player to cross this mark, joining the elite ranks of his franchise’s top scorers.

The 27-year-old opener played a brilliant innings, scoring 69 off 40 balls, featuring five fours and five sixes, contributing to his team’s performance with a striking rate of 172.50. This innings marked one of his most effective performances of the season.

Over his IPL career spanning 58 matches, Gaikwad has amassed 2,021 runs at an average of 39.62 and a strike rate of 134.91. His record includes one century and 16 fifties, with his highest score being an unbeaten 101. Among CSK batsmen, he trails only Faf Du Plessis, MS Dhoni, and Suresh Raina in total runs scored.

Gaikwad achieved the 2,000-run milestone faster than any other Indian batsman, reaching it in just 57 innings—a record only surpassed globally by Chris Gayle and Shaun Marsh.

His standout season was in 2021, when he not only secured the Orange Cap for scoring the most runs—635 runs in 16 matches at an average of 45.35 and a strike rate of 136.26—but also helped CSK clinch their fifth IPL title with his consistent performance, which included a century and four fifties.

This season, Gaikwad has continued his form, accumulating 224 runs in six matches at an average of 44.80 and a strike rate of approximately 130. His performance in this match was his best this season, making him the seventh highest run-scorer in the current tournament.