Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Rohit Sharma - comparing their stats after 68 IPL matches

Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad are two of the most prominent Indian openers in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), with both being effective through different methods. Rohit's brute aggression neutralizes the class and traditional style of Ruturaj Gaikwad. Though the impact they bring to their franchise is different, they are both quite valued for their contributions over the years.

Most of Rohit Sharma's first 45 matches came while playing for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, a time in his career when he was not an established opener and still finding his feet. He moved to Mumbai Indians in IPL 2011 and has been part of the franchise since then.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, on the other hand, began his career when CSK were arguably at their lowest but made a strong comeback to be their captain three seasons later.

Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad's first 68 matches could not have been more different from each other. They fulfilled quite different roles from each other and played a completely different brand of game, which is reflected in their numbers as well. On that note, let us take a look at their stats after 68 matches in the IPL.

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#1 Runs

There is a massive difference in runs between the pair after 68 matches, largely because of how different their roles were. It was not until the 2015-16 campaign that Rohit Sharma featured consistently in the Mumbai Indians (MI) top order. Until then, he was largely slotted in the middle-order, as low as No.5 and No.6 in the formative stages of his IPL career.

Much like Rohit, Ruturaj Gaikwad also began his IPL career in the middle-order but quickly transitioned into a top-order batter, where he is still well-established. Although he was dismissed for a five-ball duck in his first match as an opener against Rohit Sharma's MI in 2020, CSK persisted with him, and soon reaped the rewards.

Barring a dull 2022 campaign, where CSK also crumbled, Gaikwad has been a prolific run scorer, even winning the Orange Cap in 2021, which led to his retention soon after.

Player Name	Runs after 68 matches
Rohit Sharma	1718
Ruturaj Gaikwad	2433

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#2 Strike Rate and Average

Rohit Sharma's destructive batting style and six-hitting ability have led to an impressive strike rate in T20Is, but he has underachieved in this regard in the IPL. There is hardly any difference between his overall IPL strike rate and his strike rate after 68 appearances, despite his promotion up the top, the change in his batting style, and how cricket has evolved over the years.

On another concerning note, his average after 68 matches, which is a touch underwhelming, has dipped as the seasons have progressed. His average hovered around the 30-run mark in his early days, and now, after more than a decade, it has dipped below even that mark.

Although Gaikwad does not match Rohit Sharma's destructive ability, his innate instinct of constructing an innings and switching gears gradually consistently has led to a better average and strike rate. He holds an average that crosses the 40-run mark, which is ideal for an opening batter, while the respectable strike-rate makes him one of the best and reliable going around.

Player Name	Matches	Average	Strike Rate
Rohit Sharma	68	31.24	130.05
Ruturaj Gaikwad	68	41.29	137.54

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#3 Milestones

Both Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad began their IPL journey with a duck. But it did not take long for both batters to be among the milestone figures. Gaikwad notched four fifties in his first 10 innings, while Rohit Sharma had three.

But, while Gaikwad continued to bring up the fifties on a regular basis, Sharma hit a rough patch. The former scored four fifties and a hundred in his second season, where he won the Orange Cap, while the latter scored only one fifty in the Deccan Chargers' title-winning season in his second year.

Gaikwad also scored two hundreds, first in the 2021 season and then another in the 2024 season. Rohit Sharma came close to recording his maiden IPL hundred during the 2011 season. But he did not have to wait too long for the three-figure mark as he reached the milestone only two matches after his 68th appearance in the IPL.

Player Name	Fifties	Hundreds
Rohit Sharma	13	0
Ruturaj Gaikwad	19	2