NEWS
Follow UsChennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad got off to a few starts in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign but never really managed to kick on. However, on April 8 (Monday), that changed as he slammed an unbeaten 67 to see his team home against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Chepauk.
Gaikwad says that his lack of runs was never a worry for him or his side. "There are certain things where the outside people don't really get to know," Gaikwad said at the post-match press conference
"Last year, three-four games that we started, it was in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Mumbai and again Chennai. All those games were on flat wickets. So, I feel the pitch really matters a lot.
"First game [of IPL 2024], I thought I got a good start, got a good ball. Second game, same. I think I got a good start, had to accelerate a little bit [and] you tend to make a mistake there. And third game again, I felt I was in great shape, the second ball did not really do anything...
"Sometimes there are phases where you get good balls. Sometimes, there are phases where you are slightly unlucky. Sometimes, there are phases where things don't really fall in shape. [A] good shot, going into the fielder's hands. So you don't really need to think about that. I always felt I was in good shape, starting really well, good head space, so I wasn't really worried."
Ruturaj reiterated that the pressure of captaincy is not weighing him down and that he wants to change much of what has worked well for CSK over the years.
"I don't want to be a specific kind of character. Just like to flow things as they're flowing... keep the culture of the CSK basically going. That's what I feel," the 27-year-old said.
"The success we've had, the things we have been doing, I don't want to change a single bit of it. I just want to come there, take my own decisions and just give as much freedom as possible because that's what has been happening since I joined CSK. Nothing really changes, and I'm enjoying myself."
While it might look like he has huge shoes to fill in terms of leading the side, Ruturaj says that captaincy is not new to him. He revealed that it was in the 2022 season that he got a hint that he might be leading this season.
Speaking of the chat he had with MS Dhoni, Ruturaj said, "To be honest, not really deep conversations. It was in a very chilled state. Just one conversation, I would say. We were practising, and he came and told me all this stuff. Obviously for, everyone, others on the outside, they would think they are big shoes to fill, but I feel I would always be myself, and I would like to continue the culture that has been going.
"I remember in 2022 when he said to 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. It was nothing new to me or a surprise or a shock. I know how to control the game.
"I know how the game progresses, which [bowling] changes, what to do when, as I was doing for the state team as well. Even last year, Fleming and I used to discuss captaincy after every game, about how I felt, what changes, bowling changes, what I felt we needed to do, this and that. Every game we had one-on-one conversations so that really helped."
After back-to-back losses, CSK finally registered a seven-wicket victory over KKR and will hope to extend their run when they take on Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (April 14).
