'MS Dhoni said what mistake we did with Ravindra Jadeja...' - Irfan Pathan unveils Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy transformation
Updated - 28 Mar 2024, 12:01 PM
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan provided insights into Ruturaj Gaikwad’s evolution as a captain for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Irfan Pathan highlighted Ruturaj Gaikwad’s extensive interaction with MS Dhoni and how it played a pivotal role in his development.
MS Dhoni surprised the cricketing world with an announcement just a day before the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Dhoni stepped down from the captaincy of the CSK team, with Ruturaj Gaikwad named as his successor for the five-time IPL champions.
The Maharashtra cricketer commenced his captaincy tenure with a comfortable victory over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2024 opener. The CSK team secured a 6-wicket victory at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, March 22.
The Chennai-based franchise continued their dominance in their next match against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at their home ground. The CSK team secured a 63-run victory in the match, marking their second consecutive win under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Used To Spend Time With Dhoni – Irfan Pathan
In a discussion with ESPNCricinfo, Irfan Pathan credited Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s success to his interactions with MS Dhoni. Pathan emphasized that Gaikwad’s journey towards leadership roles began approximately one and a half years ago.
“What has happened is that last to last year, Vijay Hazare (tournament) was held in Ranchi, he (Ruturaj) was spending a lot of time with MS Dhoni. After the game, he used to spend time with Dhoni, and he learned a lot of tricks. And that preparation started long back. About one and a half years ago. At the same time, Fleming as a coach, he has a lot of leadership courses as well. So obviously he has attended that as well. That helps,” Pathan said.
MS Dhoni Has Started To Trust Him – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan added that MS Dhoni acknowledged the need to avoid previous leadership mistakes made with Ravindra Jadeja. He advocated for empowering Rututaj Gaikwad to make more decisions on the field.
“And now Dhoni has started to trust him and said, okay, what mistake we did with Ravindra Jadeja as a leader, we don’t want to do the same mistakes. We want to give a little more responsibility to our captain, which is Ruturaj Gaikwad. He’s a young captain, but let him make more decisions. Yes, Dhoni is there and he’s always going to be there. He’s going to be helping out,” Pathan added.
The 27-year-old scored 15 runs off 15 balls in their first match. The batter scored 46 runs on 36 balls, hitting five boundaries and a six, in the next game. He currently ranks as the third-highest run scorer for his team, trailing behind Shivam Dube and Rachin Ravindra.
The Rututaj Gaikwad-led team currently holds the top position in the 10-team points table. The Men in Yellow will take on the Delhi Capitals in their next match at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, March 31.
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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Indian Premier League (IPL) IPL 2024 Irfan Pathan MS Dhoni Ruturaj Gaikwad
