"The Confidence MS Dhoni Showed In Me Has Helped Me"- Ruturaj Gaikwad

The Maharashtra and Chennai Super Kings opener Ruturaj Gaikwad has credited his CSK captain, MS Dhoni, with helping him get consistency in his game. Gaikwad is currently in Sri Lanka with the Shikhar Dhawan-led India team for the six white-ball matches and will hope to get a game or two.

Gaikwad first broke onto the Indian Premier League scene in 2020, but his maiden foray into the glitz of the tournament began with him testing COVID-19 positive ahead of IPL 2020 and then couldn’t score runs at the start of the tournament. But he was given another chance in the second half after CSK were out of playoffs qualification and he hit three straight half-centuries and three Man of the Match awards. In IPL 2021, he continued the same form, despite a patchy start.

Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni) Always Helped Me: Ruturaj Gaikwad

Speaking to Anand Bazaar Patrika, Gaikwad stated that MS Dhoni still backed him at the top of the order for CSK. Both will be seen in action for Chennai Super Kings when the IPL 2021 resumes in September in UAE.

“Mahi Bhai always helped me. I was not getting a run at the beginning of this time in IPL. I still did not lose confidence and regularly opened. The confidence that Mahi Bhai has placed in me has helped me,” said Gaikwad.

He further recalled Dhoni’s advice to him on how to become a successful cricketer. The 24-year-old said the former Indian skipper told him to always focus on the quality of the delivery and not on what the opponents have to say on the field.

“Mahi Bhai always used to say not to play without seeing the name of the opponent. Success is achieved by batting according to the quality of the ball. Opponents will try to warm their heads in many ways. Mahi Bhai advised not to fall into that trap. The advice he gave during his visit to Sri Lanka will help a lot,” Ruturaj Gaikwad signed off.

The three-match India-Sri Lanka ODI series will begin from July 13 and the three-match T20I series will start from July 21.

Also Read: MS Dhoni Is The ‘Maharaja’ Of CSK; He Will Never Leave The Franchise: Brad Hogg