An right-arm off-spinner, who bats well in the lower middle-order. Gaikwad has a reputation for being the ‘crisis man’. His 124 runs in the first MPL season clearly indicate the value of this all-rounder for the Supremos, which has seen him find a regular place in the State Ranji squad for the past two seasons. Gaikwad improved it even further in the MPL-II, where batting, in general, was a bit more difficult, scoring 198 runs at an average of 28.28, and a strike rate of 91. Gaikwad is not often among wickets, but is known for his accuracy. His season economy rate of 5.40 in MPL-II, where he took five wickets, is a clear proof of it. That performance saw him being signed by the latest IPL team, Sahara Pune Warriors. Gaikwad’s contributions were also crucial in Maharashtra winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali national T20 title in 2009-10. Gaikwad has represented State in all the age groups, starting from U-14.