Young Indian opener Ruturaj Gaikwad credited legendary Indian skipper MS Dhoni for his remarkable control of the T20I game’s tempo after India’s T20 series victory over Australia on Friday. Under the watchful eyes of the CSK captain during the IPL, the 26-year-old has matured and gained the ability to remain composed under pressure.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has amassed an outstanding total of 213 runs at an average of 71 in the ongoing five-match T20 series, making him the top run scorer in the series and got his first international century in the 3rd T20, capped off his incredible run by becoming the first Indian to achieve a hundred in a Twenty20 international match against Australia.
Following the victory at JioCinema, Ruturaj Gaikwad was questioned over his comprehension of the game’s tempo and the young opener acknowledged that Dhoni had helped him in certain areas and claimed that the captain of CSK constantly communicates to the players the goals the squad hopes to achieve.
“No, definitely. I would say I learned being in CSK because, you know, Mahi bhai is always keen on reading situations, you know, understanding the game, how the game will progress. And he is more or less sends a message where you have to look for a team score,” Ruturaj Gaikwad said.
The Indian opener is an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings setup in the IPL playing an important role in the team’s championship victory in the 2021 and 2023 seasons. The 26-year-old is one of the consistent performers in the IPL and domestic cricket but has found himself out of the Indian team combination in recent times.
So I Think That Has Stayed With Me And I’m Trying To Continue That – Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad believes that he always strives to put the needs of the team over individual milestones and wants to keep playing the way he does. He also feels that it is necessary to play for the team regardless of the individual.
“You know what the team requires at that certain stage, irrespective of where you are batting, Either you are batting on 15 or not out or you just started, what the team requires just in particular that over. So I think that has stayed with me. And I’m trying to continue that,” Ruturaj Gaikwad added.
After a terrible mix-up with Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad was run out for a duck in the opening Twenty20 International in Visakhapatnam. However, the young opener has scored 58, 123*, and 32 in the next three games to showcase his skillsets at the highest level.
