Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has backed Ruturaj Gaikwad to be MS Dhoni’s successor as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain in the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He reckoned that Gaikwad had all the qualities to be a good captain and had also had captaincy experience, having led Maharashtra in domestic cricket.
Sehwag believes that the CSK opener Gaikwad has all the qualities of the legendary cricketer Dhoni except one, and that is luck. Dhoni is a legendary leader due to his street smarts, but there is no denying the fact that he also had luck going his way a lot of times.
The former opener said that Gaikwad might not have that luck factor, but he is very cool and composed, like Dhoni in all situations. He remains the same in all situations, and he is consistent in scoring runs and takes ownership well.
Virender Sehwag told Cricbuzz: “He captains Maharashtra. He plays very quietly. It's like even if he scored a century, it won't show in his mannerisms. Even if he scores a 0, you will see the same demeanor. It doesn't appear on his face if he is happy about scoring a hundred or sad about getting out for a duck. He has control, he is calm. He has all the qualities needed to be a good captain. He is captaining in First-Class cricket so he has an idea how to dictate a match. Who is to be given the ball, what needs to change in the batting order… he has the idea.”
He signed off by saying, “Anyone can have one good season, but if he plays 3-4 more seasons, he will become a captain who can become a long-term captain after MS Dhoni. Why does the world consider MS Dhoni a good captain? Because he is cool, takes his own decision, and uses his bowlers and batters well. He also has the luck factor. Luck favors those who are brave and MS Dhoni is a brave captain. He has all the qualities of MS Dhoni, except one. I’m not sure about the luck factor.”
(With Cricbuzz Inputs)
