Ruturaj’s class has been a revelation of sorts and has been the biggest reason behind CSK’s dominance this season. Faf Duplessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad have formed the absolute best opening pair of IPL 2021. While Faf sits 5th on the highest run-scorers list, the top position has been a game of cat and mouse between Punjab’s KL Rahul and Rutu. The 24-year-old CSKian has been averaging 47.36 this season, accumulating 521 runs from 13 innings this far.
MS Dhoni’s advice helped Ruturaj Gaikwad
So what has been Gaikwad’s success mantra? How has Thala Dhoni brought the best out of him? Let’s hear it from Rutu’s own coach, Sandeep Chavan. “Dhoni always tells Ruturaj to stay away from social media. Apart from batting tips, handling pressure, and accelerating the run rate, Dhoni’s advice of staying away from social media to Ruturaj has worked well for him,” says Sandeep.
It is to be noted that Dhoni himself doesn’t remain active on social media and it seems that shutting the outside noise is proving fruitful for Gaikwad as well. And then some appreciation has to be given to the team management and coach Stephen Fleming. Gaikwad’s first 3 scores this season read 0,5 and 5. With fans and critics enraged alike, the 3-time IPL champs could have easily discarded a young talent who was failing to get them off to a flyer.
Ruturaj tells the best thing about CSK to his Coach
But that’s not how the Super Kings operate. Speaking about the same in a TOI exclusive, Chavan says, “Ruturaj tells me this big thing about Dhoni and his team, that if you perform well, they will appreciate you, but if you are not able to perform, they will still treat you in the same way. They won’t let you feel that you had a bad outing in the middle. That’s the best thing about CSK.”
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Gaikwad has now grown into a more dangerous player. Although built lean, the right-hander currently sits 2nd on the list of batters with most maximums, with 20 such hits, including a 108-meter tonk, against his name. Despite a modest start to the mega-event, Ruturaj now has 3 fifties and a scintillating 60-ball hundred to show. In Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Chennains planted a seed. They then decided to keep nurturing it despite not getting immediate rewards, and boy… hasn’t the decision well and truly paid off?