Virender Sehwag was left impressed by CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad’s sublime batting effort on Wednesday. In a brave call, the former cricketer suggested Ruturaj Gaikwad had the temperament to captain the Chennai Super Kings after MS Dhoni.
Ruturaj Gaikwad was at the center of CSK’s seven-wicket win against SRH, notching up a 44-ball-75 in a player-of-the-match effort.
Virender Sehwag: Ruturaj Gaikwad Has The Ability To Become CSK Skipper
Virender Sehwag looked back at Ruturaj Gaikwad’s contribution while speaking to Cricbuzz and claimed the youngster’s temperament could take him places in the future.
“I haven’t met him, nor seen Ruturaj Gaikwad play personally, but if he stays at CSK for the next couple of years, he may have the capability to become the captain,” Sehwag claimed.
The 24-year-old masterminded CSK’s chase against SRH, stitching together a 129-run partnership with Faf du Plessis. Ruturaj Gaikwad started slowly and let Faf du Plessis don the aggressor’s hat in the powerplay. Ruturaj Gaikwad then showcased the array of shots once the field opened up, accelerating brilliantly to go past Faf du Plessis’ tally in no time. He interestingly ended with a strike rate of 170+ despite not hitting a single six on the night.
Virender Sehwag: Ruturaj Gaikwad Doesn’t Run Away From Responsibility Or Throws Away His Wicket
Virender Sehwag admitted CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad’s runs helped CSK get over the line but pointed out how his calming character made him a candidate for CSK’s leadership once MS Dhoni departed.
“I haven’t spent time with him personally. But he bats with a calm head, he knows when to take risks and how to bat at each moment. He doesn’t run away from responsibility, nor does he throw away his wicket.
“Looking at all these qualities, I feel if he stays at CSK and continues there, he may have the capability. Does he captain in domestic cricket? If yes, then his chances of leading CSK will surely increase,” Virender Sehwag suggested.
The CSK opener has experience of captaining at the domestic level. Ruturaj Gaikwad was named Maharashtra’s skipper for the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this season. In his short time at CSK, the youngster has seen both highs and lows. He bounced back brilliantly after a tough initiation at the start of the IPL 2020 campaign.
The batsman has a calm head on his shoulders and could lead CSK in the future if he stays with the franchise. Much will depend on CSK’s planning for the next mega auction and the future of MS Dhoni. Several other players have been touted to lead CSK once MS Dhoni hands over the reins, with Michael Vaughan recently backing Ravindra Jadeja to lead the side in the future.
Pragyan Ojha had a different view while speaking to Cricbuzz, with the veteran spinner advising the franchise to bring in Kane Williamson from SRH and make him captain.
As expected, Ruturaj Gaikwad partnered with Faf du Plessis in the new IPL 2021 season but the opener got scores of 5, 5, and 10 as he struggled to get going before scoring 64, 33, and 75 in the next 3 games. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who amassed 204 runs at 51 in IPL 2020, has amassed 192 runs in 6 games after scoring 20 in the first 3 matches.
He fared similarly in IPL 2020 held at UAE where he smashed a hat-trick of half-centuries in the last three games to amass 204 runs averaging 51 in 6 games after scoring just 5 runs in the first 3 outings.
CSK’s Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 75 and Faf du Plessis’s 56 ensured an opening partnership of 129 which was cut short by SRH’s leg spinner Rashid Khan who picked 3 wickets of Moeen Ali and both openers but it came too late.
Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings: 173-3 (Ruturaj Gaikwad 75, Faf du Plessis 56; Rashid Khan 3-36 ) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad: 171/3(Manish Pandey 61, David Warner 57; Lungi Ngidi 2-35) by 7 wickets.