MS Dhoni Told Me To Enjoy My Cricket And Not Think About The Result - Ruturaj Gaikwad Reveals Skipper's Advice That Helped Him Turnaround His Season

Ruturaj Gaikwad made his IPL debut last season for the Chennai Super Kings. However, it was a forgettable debut for the right-hander as he was dismissed for a duck. He followed it up with another couple of single-digit scores – 5 and 0 – but was successful in turning around his season with three consecutive half-centuries, helping CSK win the three games and avoid a bottom place finish.

With the 3 fifties at the top, and runs under his belt in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Ruturaj Gaikwad is nigh-certain to start for CSK in IPL 2021 despite the return of the Suresh Raina in the line-up.

Ruturaj Gaikwad reveals that his chat with captain MS Dhoni after his third failure liberated him from the pressure. The 24-year-old says that the skipper advised him to play with freedom and not worry about the results; Dhoni’s faith and confidence in the right-hander emboldened him as he hit back-to-back-to-back fifties.

“Dhoni told me to enjoy my cricket and not think about the result — just enjoy the atmosphere, be calm, and once I got my eye in he was confident that I’d be able to make an impact,” Ruturaj Gaikwad was quoted as saying by the CSK website.

“I think it was a good reminder for me, because all I was looking for was the result and not thinking about the process. So, it helped me a lot coming from him,” he added.

I learnt from Dhoni is that there will be good and bad days in cricket, as in life: Ruturaj Gaikwad

The Maharashtra-born batsman also picked up some invaluable on and off-field lessons from the former India skipper. Ruturaj Gaikwad asserts that the World Cup-winning captain taught him to embrace both the good and the bad days in cricket and in life, but to be ready to cash in on the good ones as well.

“One of the important lessons I learnt from Dhoni is that there will be good and bad days in cricket, as in life. But what really matters is how honest you are to yourself, stay neutral in both situations and accept the fact that everyday won’t be your day. But whenever it’s your day it’s important to try and make it count,” the youngster stated.

The 3-time champions begin their campaign against last season’s runners-up, Delhi Capitals on April 10th in Mumbai.

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