Ruturaj Gaikwad starred with the bat in Team India’s 33-run victory over Ireland in the second T20I in Dublin on Sunday (August 20).
Opening the innings, the right-hander slammed 58 off 43 balls to lay the foundation of India’s massive total of 185/5 in 20 overs.
After watching his exploits for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the last few seasons, the fans and experts have high expectations from Gaikwad.
Recently, veteran spinner R Ashwin compared his elegant batting to “Prabhu Deva’s dance moves” while former India cricketer Kiran More tipped him to become the “future India captain.”
However, Gaikwad shunned down all the expectations by calling it “unnecessary hype” and it is something he has learnt from CSK’s legendary skipper MS Dhoni.
“I think leadership role is a very complicated thing to be honest. What Mahi bhai always says is to take it one game at a time. Just be in the present moment, don’t worry about the future. Everyone creates hype and whatever it is. I am not the kind of person who do really watch social media and hear things about what anyone is saying about me. I think this is one of the traits that I have learned at CSK. I am pretty much clear about giving my best in the field, coming back home, chilling with my friends,” Gaikwad told reporters after the second T20 in Dublin.
Ruturaj Gaikwad will be leading India in the upcoming Asian Games, slated to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.
Talking about his captaincy, the stylish opener said: “Leadership for me is to give maximum confidence to the ten players, who are playing. Make sure that I step into their shoes and think about what they are thinking and what they are going through. Sometimes the batters and bowlers have their own plans, they are really thinking about the game from their perspective. So, I feel it is important to back them in that moment. After the game, there is always an opportunity of what went wrong, what we could have improved. For me in the game particularly, it is more about giving freedom to the players. Make sure they back themselves first. Too many suggestions also create confusion; this is what I believe.”
Reflecting on the second T20I, Gaikwad said the pitch was on the slower side and the Indian team is happy to win the series against a competitive Ireland side.
“The pitch was on the slower side due to the rain overnight, and the incessant downpour in the past couple of days has made it a bit damp. It was touch on the slower side, and there was a spongy tennis ball bounce. Back of the length was difficult to negotiate, I felt the slower ones and the cutters were difficult to hit on this wicket,” he said.
“I guess we have played good cricket in both games. I think Ireland are a very competitive side and they played well today as well; two or three hits here and there, they could have reached closer to the target. As far as winning 3-0 is concerned, the series win is more important than 3-0 or 2-1, it doesn’t really matter,” he added.
Gaikwad also acknowledged that being an opener in the T20 format is a luxury as it gives him a chance to take some deliveries to settle down.
“I think being an opener, I have the luxury to eat up some balls upfront. Face 10-15 balls, and then come back and cover,” he said.
“It is difficult for batters coming in. Usually, there are fewer overs left. Sometimes 8 or 10. They cannot afford to play too many dot balls. Being an opener, it is always great to assess the wicket, play accordingly and figure out what shots you can play and what shots you can’t play.
“I think today I felt the wicket was on a slower side, so one batter had to be there till the 15th over or till 17th and 18th. That was the plan,” he remarked.
(The Indian Express Inputs)
