NEW DELHI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, the young opener for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has seamlessly transitioned from Mahendra Singh Dhoni's mentee to the captain of one of the most successful IPL units.
Despite the lack of extensive discussions on leadership tactics between the two, Gaikwad had been subtly prepared by Dhoni for the role, a revelation that sheds light on the meticulous planning of the CSK management.
"To be honest, not really deep conversations. I feel it was in a very chilled state. Just one conversation I would say. Just we were practicing and he came and told me all this stuff," Gaikwad shared during the post-match press conference after CSK's win over Kolkata Knight Riders.
"I remember in 2022 when he told me, 'Probably not next year, but after that, you might get a chance to lead, so be ready for it'. So, obviously after that, I was always ready for it," Gaikwad recalled, highlighting Dhoni's foresight in grooming him for leadership.
Reflecting on his approach to leadership, Gaikwad emphasized continuity, stating, "I just want to come here, make my own decisions and just give as much freedom as possible because that's what has been happening from when I joined CSK. Nothing really changes and I'm enjoying it a lot."
As Gaikwad continues to navigate the challenges of captaincy while maintaining his batting form, his journey serves as a testament to the trust and foresight of Dhoni and the CSK management. With his calm demeanor and commitment to continuity, Gaikwad aims to uphold the legacy of CSK and lead the team to further success in the IPL.
1/10:Jadeja helps Chennai Super Kings end Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL winning run
PTI
2/10:Jadeja's bowling masterclass
Ravindra Jadeja, who returned with figures of 3-18, led Chennai Super Kings' bowling charge to restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to 137/9, a total the home team overhauled with 14 balls to spare.PTI
3/10:Gaikwad's captaincy brilliance
Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad led the chase with an unbeaten 67 and a 70-run second-wicket partnership with Daryl Mitchell, who made 25, to make Chennai bounce back from two losses.PTI
4/10:Gaikwad praises Jadeja
"Jaddu (Jadeja) always comes in after the power play with momentum in the spin department," Gaikwad said of his man of the match performer.ANI
5/10:Dube's quickfire knock
Shivam Dube hit 28 off 18 balls before departing with Chennai needing three for victory and the crowd erupted at the sight of Dhoni walking out to bat.PTI
6/10:KKR's early struggles
Kolkata had a horror start to their innings after they lost England's Phil Salt on the first ball off fast bowler Tushar Dehspande.AP
7/10:Jadeja's spin magic
Jadeja remained the hero as he struck on the first ball of his opening over and sent back the in-form Sunil Narine (27) four balls later to put KKR in trouble at 60/3 inside seven overs.PTI
8/10:Iyer's fighting knock
KKR's innings never took off with skipper Shreyas Iyer adding some respect with his 34 in 32 balls.PTI
9/10:CSK's bowling dominance
Deshpande claimed three wickets and Bangladesh left-arm quick Mustafizur Rahman took two for Chennai.ANI
10/10:Kolkata's learning curve
"We have to go back to our drawing board and learn, just a matter of one match and one innings, glad it happened at the start of the tournament," said Iyer.AP(With inputs from PTI)
