IPL 2021: I Will Now Put Ruturaj Gaikwad In The KL Rahul Category - Brian Lara

Former West Indian batsman Brian Lara lauded Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener, Ruturaj Gaikwad after he scored a magnificent century against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Ruturaj’s efforts went in vain, however, as RR chased the target of 190 in under 18 overs.

Ruturaj was quite slow, to begin with on a track that the batsmen seemed to enjoy. In his first 35 balls, he only managed to score 38. Once he got the hang of the surface, there was no stopping the youngster. His last 25 balls saw him amass 63 runs and CSK had a healthy total of 189 on the board. Speaking about Ruturaj, Lara stated that he now belongs in the KL Rahul category of batsmen.

“Yeah, he could have been 135 if he had got more strike in the end overs. But it was a complete show of batsmanship. That’s what I like about him, seeing how he put that innings together, how he surged in the second half of the innings.”

“He was just tremendous to watch. He shows that you can play good cricket shots and still score big runs. And that’s what I am proud of as a batsman. It was just remarkable and unbelievable. I will put him now in the KL Rahul category,” Lara told on Star Sports.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is carrying their batting at the moment – Ajit Agarkar

Former Indian cricketer Ajit Agarkar felt that Ruturaj has been the find of the tournament so far. The 24-year-old has accumulated 508 runs in 12 matches at an average of over 50, and he now holds the orange cap in IPL 2021 season.

“He took a little bit of time to get his first 30 rims and after that, he just took off. For me, he has been the find for CSK in the last season and a half. He is improving with every game. He is carrying their batting at the moment. He needed 6 off the last two balls. He misses one and hits the last one, it’s incredible,” Agarkar mentioned.

Despite Gaikwad’s heroics going in vain, the loss to RR will come as a wake-up call to CSK who have been perched at the top of the table for a while now. They will be up against Delhi Capitals (DC) in their next game on Monday.

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