Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who led from the front in the win against KKR on April 8 night, was appointed CSK captain a day before the IPL opener on March 22.
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| Ruturaj Gaikwad (Photo ANI) |
Former CSK Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told Ruturaj Gaikwad to be prepared for Chennai Super Kings captaincy back in 2022 and here were conversation between the two on how to lead IPL team.
“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,” Ruturaj Gaikwad said in the post-match press conference after the win over Kolkata Knight Riders on April 8.
Ruturaj Gaikwad said “Obviously, everyone, others on the outside, 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 on.
“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,” said Ruturaj Gaikwad.
He says “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 change [to make], and 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 or that. Every game, we had one-on-one conversations so that really helped.”
When asked what change had he brought in as skipper, Gaikwad said that he believes in continuity.
When asked about Captaincy he said...
“Captaincy-wise, I don’t want to be a specific kind of character. Just let things flow and keep the culture of CSK going. The success that we had and the things we have been doing, I don’t want to change a single bit of it. 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 a lot.” “Captaincy, while batting, is a totally different approach”
“And captaincy, while batting, is a totally different approach. Even when I was playing my first game, or the first fifty I scored for CSK, I think it was a similar kind of situation.
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