Gaikwad took over as CSK captain from Dhoni ahead of IPL 2024.
Speculations are rife that the ongoing IPL season could be Dhoni’s last. On the eve of the IPL 2024 opener, he stepped down as CSK captain, handing the leadership baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Under Gaikwad’s captaincy, the defending champions have won three out of their five matches so far. On Monday (April 8), CSK produced a complete performance to register a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Speaking after the game, Gaikwad expressed his desire to keep CSK’s legacy going and doesn’t want to change anything for the franchise.
The CSK captain also clarified that Dhoni had spoken about plans to hand over the captaincy to him in IPL 2022 and in 2023. After every match, Gaikwad would sit with coach Stephen Fleming and discuss what he would have done if he was at the helm.
“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. 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,” Gaikwad said in the post-match presser.
“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 change [to make], what to do when, as I was doing for the state team as well. Even last year as well Fleming and me 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,” he added.
With just three needed for victory, Dhoni walked out to bat for CSK against KKR and completed the formalities alongside Gaikwad.
“I was actually thinking, it was a little bit [of a] tricky situation. I knew that he was facing the last ball of the [17th] over. There was less chances of him taking a single and facing the next over again. And I was always thinking that probably if he gets to play two-three dot balls and I go and play, if I had an opportunity to get a dot ball, I would’ve definitely done it. But, yeah, it was a little bit nostalgic for me. Even my first fifty, we ended up finishing the match together. That was the first time I was batting with him. So obviously immediately as he was walking in, I had that flashback in my mind so good to share the 22 yards with him,” the CSK captain stated.
Gaikwad has amassed 155 runs at a strike rate of 117.42 in five innings this season. He has a new opening partner at the opposite end – the Kiwi sensation Rachin Ravindra.
When asked if the changes forced him to bat differently, Gaikwad said: “There are certain things where the outside people don’t really get to know. Last year, [the] 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 [this season] I thought I’d got a good start, got a good ball [out for 15]. Second game, same I think, I’d got a good start, had to accelerate a little bit, you tend to make a mistake there [out for 46]. And third game, again I felt I was in great shape, second ball not really do anything [out for 1].
“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 fielder’s hands. So you don’t really need to think on that. I always felt I was in good shape, starting really well, good headspace, so I wasn’t really worried.
“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, we were chasing 140 and I always wanted to stay till the end and make sure I finish the innings so pretty much same. Nothing really changes even though I am captain or not.”
(Firstpost inputs)