Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is seen during his splendid knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on April 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Not many players entered this year’s edition of the IPL with more pressure and expectations than Ruturaj Gaikwad. On the eve of the tournament opener, the 27-year-old took over the captaincy of Chennai Super Kings, filling in the enormous shoes of M.S. Dhoni. And it was not easy for him at the start of the season, as it took five games to get his first half-century.
Especially with an out-of-form top order and the absence of his regular opening partner, Devon Conway, the Super Kings skipper was searching for the right approach. He even demoted himself to number three in two outings to accommodate Ajinkya Rahane, who was struggling with a calf issue.
But in the last five matches, Ruturaj has come into his own with three half-centuries and a ton while striking at over 170. At a time when the focus of most openers is to blast the leather off the cork, Ruturaj has shown the virtues of timing and placement can still do wonders.
CSK batting coach Michael Hussey praised Ruturaj and felt the latter was one step ahead of the bowlers.
“He is a brilliant timer of the cricket ball,” said Hussey. “I’ve been asking him what his secret is in terms of his placement; he always finds the gaps. He is also a smart batter; he knows when to attack and when to soak up pressure.”
One question ahead of the season was how he would perform with the burden of captaincy, and Hussey felt he was growing nicely into the role.
“It’s been challenging for him as well. He has taken over the captaincy role from arguably the greatest skipper of all time in this country and has been able to come in and keep his batting standards up very high. He’s got some good help around him with Stephen Fleming and Dhoni. But to take care of the captaincy aspect in addition to his batting is a real credit to him,” Hussey added.
