Ruturaj Gaikwad led India A to a thrilling five-wicket win in the first unofficial ODI against South Africa A at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, slamming a solid century to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on Thursday.

Gaikwad’s impressive knock helped India A chase down the target, securing a comfortable victory.

India A vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad anchored the chase, smashing 117 off 129 balls as India A successfully pursued 286, clinching the match in the final over.

Gaikwad shared a 64-run opening stand with Abhishek Sharma and steadied the ship with some crucial partnerships.

Skipper Tilak Varma (39), Nitish Kumar Reddy (37 off 26) and Nishant Sindhu also contributed to the win. Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Riyan Parag failed to make a significant impact for India with

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