Ruturaj Gaikwad, who shined for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the end of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, had a tough start of this season after being tested positive for the coronavirus. But his captain MS Dhoni’s advice kept him motivated even though the campaign was not going on CSK’s way.
As other quarantined for seven days, the 23-year-old Ruturaj Gaikwad along with his CSK teammates have to go under an extended isolation period. Soon after recovering from the disease, he was included in the playing XI set up although he had not many practice sessions.
He, however, could not make an immediate impact, scoring 0, 5 and 0 in his first three games. As a result, he was dropped from the setup. But when the Yellow Army was knocked out of the playoff race, Gaikwad was given another opportunity, and this time, he didn’t miss to impress.
In the last three matches, he returned with the figures – 65* against RCB, 72 against KKR and 62* against KXIP and guided them to comfortably victories. Because of his outstanding performance, CSK ended the tournament on a winning note and would take some good winning memories with them.
MS Dhoni’s advice to Ruturaj Gaikwad
In an interview with the Indian Express, the young right-hander revealed how he overcame that tough initial phase upon his arrival in UAE. He stated that he binged watch on Netflix during the quarantine period.
“I have lost track of the number of shows I have watched on Netflix. Narcos is my favourite. I think I might have watched it at least 3 times,” Ruturaj Gaikwad said.
On a video call during the quarantine period, Ruturaj was given a piece of simple yet effective advice from Dhoni. CSK captain suggested him to endure the phase with a smile.
“Face it with a smile, it will be over in 14 days”, the Super Kings captain told the batsman.
After living for an extended period in a hotel, Gaikwad didn’t get a lot of practice sessions but was swoop in playing XI. However, it was a miserable start for him.
“I was really excited to get the call-up. But I was still tentative and not 100% physically and mentally,” Ruturaj said on the early days in the playing XI.
As CSK’s chances got blurred for qualifying rounds, Ruturaj Gaikwad recalled that MS Dhoni aksed everyone to enjoy the journey and play good matches for the fans.
“We still have three matches to go. Let’s forget about the results and enjoy ourselves. Let’s play for this jersey and our fans,” Ruturaj said recalling Dhoni’s words.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is the new find for CSK, who is an ageing team. He is undoubtedly going to play many seasons for them.