Maharashtra may have lost the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final against Karnataka on Thursday, but their fielder Ruturaj Gaikwad managed to steal the spotlight on social media for a sensational catch he took earlier in the T20 tournament.
Maharashtra defeated Railways in their last Super League match on Tuesday to qualify for the final. In that game, Gaikwad pulled-off what many are describing as one of the greatest catches ever.
Defending 177, Maharashtra were cruising as Railways were reduced to 156/9 in 19.5 overs. But it was the last ball of the match that caught people’s attention.
Railways tail-ender Manjeet Singh swung his bat in desperation and the ball seemed to be sailing over the ropes, but Gaikwad had other plans.
The opening batsman, fielding at long-off, sprinted towards the sight-screen and provided an absolutely stunning catch.
Gaikwad caught the ball with one hand just before stepping over the boundary and flicked it in the air from behind his back in one swift motion. His teammate Divyang Himganekar ran across and completed the catch.
Naturally, all the players on the field, the commentators, and the handful of spectators in teh stadium were awestruck by his effort.
Watch the incredible catch here:
(Correction and clarification: The article originally mentioned that the sensational effort was by Rahul Tripathi, but it was Ruturaj Gaikwad. The article has been updated throughout.)
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