MUMBAI: Ruturaj Gaikwad stands out for his ability to match the best. In the limited chances he has had to play for India, the batter hasn’t looked out of place in white-ball cricket at international level. Batting alongside the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, he is equally pleasing to watch for his delectable stroke play.
The current Indian team management under coach Gautam Gambhir recognises that he is a rare talent, for his technical excellence. They went out of their way to make a place for him in the one-day side against South Africa at the end of last year.
Although he is a regular opener, since there was no berth available as Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal were playing, he was slotted in at No.4. Against South Africa in Raipur, playing only the eighth innings of his career, the stylish Maharashtra batter caressed an 83-ball 105. He raised a 195-run partnership with Kohli during the innings and looked the part, matching the latter in aesthetic appeal. Equally, his T20I hundred, a 57-ball 123 (SR 215.78) against a strong Australia side in 2023 at Guwahati also stood out.
Chennai Super Kings recognised his quality early, blooding him in the 2020 IPL. In his four full IPL seasons he has scored over 580 runs three times and 368 runs once. He is CSK’s third highest run-getter—after MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina—with an aggregate of 2,747 (avg 39.81, SR 136.33) in 80 matches.
This has been a tough season though with the weight of captaincy adding to the pressure on Gaikwad. In the first seven games he didn’t make a meaningful contribution. His highest score was a 22-ball 28 against Punjab Kings. He was unable to lift his strike rate.
To the relief of the CSK fans, he has showed signs of regaining form in the last three games. After a brisk 14-ball 22 against Mumbai Indians came a 60-ball 74* against Gujarat Titans, but it was in a losing cause. He finally ticked the boxes on Saturday, leading CSK to victory over MI at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. His calculated 48-ball 67* led the team to only their fourth win.
The pressure was immediately on the captain when in-form opening partner Sanju Samson, who played a pivotal role in all the first three wins CSK managed in their first eight games, was out early. Dashing batter Ayush Mhatre’s injury had already left a big hole in the line-up. The captain had his task cut out. Gaikwad showed his quality, underlining the franchise had picked him as Dhoni’s heir.
“Feels good to bat till the end. I was always feeling well, confident. But in T20s you can hit good shots straight to fielders. But my wife, team-mates and management made sure I was feeling well. I wanted to make sure I took the team to the end if I got a start,” Gaikwad, named player of the match, said at the post match presentation.
A captain’s toughest role is to see the team through the transition period. Gaikwad has been given that responsibility at CSK. With their greats moving on one by one, and with Dhoni also yet to play this season, they are looking to build a young core, banking on the likes of 20-year-olds Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, both picked for ₹14.2 crore at the auction. They didn’t do much in the first half of the season, but there were encouraging signs in Saturday’s game.
Gaikwad’s unbeaten 98-run partnership for the third wicket with Kartik was the highlight of the match. Urvil Patel and Ramakrishna Ghosh, also new to IPL, too made their presence felt by handling the big stage with confidence.
The CSK captain said: “We thought about how to get the balance right, get the batter at No.8 and the extra bowler if needed. Veer does that role well, both youngsters (Veer and Kartik) are doing well, so gave them a chance (ahead of Akeal Hosein).”
It was a confidence booster for Kartik, who scored a 40-ball 54*. “Coming in at No.4, he gives balance. Plays well to pacers and spinners. Once he gets going, he’ll give a lot more in the coming years.”
Gaikwad regaining rhythm and the youngsters beginning to find their groove will keep CSK fans optimistic of performances in the second half of IPL.