IPL 2025: "With the kind of age difference..." - Ruturaj Gaikwad breaks silence on first meeting with MS Dhoni

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has spoken about his first meeting with the legendary cricketer MS Dhoni during his initial years at the franchise. Gaikwad also admitted to being nervous while sharing the same dressing room with Dhoni.

MS Dhoni left the captaincy of Chennai Super Kings after leading the team to IPL 2023 win. The team management picked Ruturaj Gaikwad as the team's next captain. However, CSK were below par in IPL 2024 as they had to deal with a no. of injury issues and could not make it to the playoffs.

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Ruturaj Gaikwad breaks silence on his first meeting with MS Dhoni

Ruturaj Gaikwad spoke to The Indian Express and shared the experiences of his first meeting with Dhoni. He felt nervous in his first interaction with the legend but was made comfortable later as both of them shared the same dressing room.

"For the first time (I was) very nervous (while sharing a dressing room with MS Dhoni). Obviously I had never met anyone with that kind of a stature. But he made me feel comfortable and made me feel like I’m a part of the team," said Gaikwad.

"After that till now, whenever he is around, I get goosebumps but I have to get myself back and focus I never dreamt about it, playing with MS Dhoni," he revealed.

Gaikwad also spoke about his game plans while he is batting in the IPL. The right-handed opener has the ability to bat long and has an aim to bat until Dhoni comes out to bat.

"With the kind of age difference we have he is almost 16-18 years older than me. So every time I go out to bat for CSK in the IPL, my only aim is to play until MS Dhoni comes to bat," the opener added.

MS Dhoni vs Ruturaj Gaikwad

Dhoni is a legendary captain and has led CSK to five IPL titles. The wicketkeeper-batter is also the most successful captain in IPL history with 133 wins and 91 defeats in 226 matches at a win percentage of 58.84.

On the other hand, Gaikwad has led CSK in just 14 matches so far out of which the team won 7 matches and lost as many games. Gaikwad will continue to lead CSK in IPL 2025 despite a tough start to his captaincy career.

Dhoni will also be seen in the upcoming season as he is still an active player in the IPL. Over the years, the 43-year-old has transformed his playing style and relies on hitting big shots down the order.

MS Dhoni's IPL numbers

Dhoni has been playing the IPL since the tournament's inaugural edition in 2008. He led CSK to the final in the first season where they lost to Rajasthan Royals. CSK won its first IPL trophy in 2010 and won another title in the next year as well.

Dhoni has exceptional IPL numbers with 5243 runs in 264 matches at an average of 39.12 and a strike rate of 137.53 with 24 fifties. Despite batting in the lower order for most part of his career, he was able to contribute heavily with the bat under pressure situations.