Leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their third season win in a convincing 7-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad showcased a determined innings, scoring 67 runs off 58 balls, embellished with nine boundaries.
Reflecting on the match, Gaikwad expressed a sense of nostalgia as he batted alongside former captain MS Dhoni and sealed the victory. “Bit of nostalgia for me. My first IPL fifty, Mahi bhai was with me to finish the match,” he said at the post-match presentation.
IPL 2024: After CSK's win over KKR, Gaikwad said that he finds support from MS Dhoni and Head Coach Stephen Fleming when needed.
Image: BCCI
Gaikwad further revealed that in the absence of Ajinkya Rahane due to injury, he assumed the responsibility of anchoring the innings and that he did not want to burden the younger players. “With Jinx injured, onus was on me to bat through, didn't want to put the youngsters in a difficult situation,” he said.
Gaikwad also emphasized that everyone in the team is in a positive mindset, and he finds support from MS Dhoni and Head Coach Stephen Fleming when needed.
“With this team, I don't really need to tell things to anyone. Everyone's in a great head space. Mahi bhai and Fleming are still around to take those calls,” he said.
Speaking about Ravindra Jadeja’s contribution with the ball, the 28-year-old said, “Was a 150-160 wicket. Jaddu always comes in after the power play with momentum in the spin department.”
Gaikwad who scored run at a strike rate of 115.52 said that he doesn’t think of it as a slow start. In a light-hearted manner, he suggested leaving such discussions to the experts.
“I wouldn't say mine is a slow start, in T20s there are times you nick off one or two balls, sometimes you need a bit of luck to get going, maybe something for experts to talk about, with my strike rate," he concluded.
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