IND vs IRE: "Mahi Bhai Always Says Is To Take It One Game At A Time" - Ruturaj Gaikwad On Leadership Role

Young Indian opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad spoke about the buzz surrounding him as the potential future captain of the Indian cricket team. Gaikwad revealed that the former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, advised him to focus on approaching each game at a time rather than worrying about the future.

Following the 33-run victory against Ireland, Ruturaj Gaikwad emphasized that he doesn’t pay much attention to social media and external opinions.

“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,” Ruturaj told reporters.

“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,” he added.

The 26-year-old was named as the vice-captain of the Indian team in the ongoing T20I series in Ireland. Gaikwade is set to lead the second-string Indian team in the upcoming Asian Games, scheduled to be held in China next month.

More About Giving Freedom To The Players – Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad highlighted the importance of supporting players’ plans as a captain and providing them with the freedom to express themselves.

“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,” he further added.

“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,” he concluded.

India’s squad for Asia Games 2023: Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, and Prabhsimran Singh (wk)

Also read: IND Vs IRE: Ruturaj Gaikwad To Be India’s Future Captain- Ex India Selector’s Sensational Claim