CSK vs DC: Ruturaj Gaikwad Expresses Gratitude Toward Team Management for Their Support

The ongoing season of the Indian Premier League has been spectacular for the young players be it Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Tilak Verma, or Ruturaj Gaikwad. After a fantastic 2021 season, opener Ruturaj Gaikwad saw a dip in his performance last year. Nonetheless, despite his failures, the team showed their belief in the young lad and he came back stronger and better.

The CSK vs DC game was crucial for the 4-time winners to seal their spot for qualifier 1. Both the Chennai Super Kings openers Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad batting first shared a 141 runs partnership. This helped the team capitalize and reach a target of 223. The Delhi team was completely out of touch throughout the game. By the end of 20 overs, Delhi could only reach 146 runs. For his 79 runs in 50 balls, Ruturaj Gaikwad was given the player of the match.

“I am glad for the support they give me,” says Ruturaj Gaikwad

Speaking at the CSK vs DC post-game presentation, Ruturaj Gaikwad opened up on the team’s journey this season. He explained how backing from the management helped him and thanked them for their support. Mentioning about playing freely throughout the game, Ruturaj Gaikwad acknowledged that he didn’t hold back since he knew guys like Shivam Dube and captain MS Dhoni could come in and contribute effectively.

“Obviously, important game. As you said, it was an important game and we had to win it. It makes it more special for me to play this knock in my 50th game. Such a great franchise to be part of and I am glad for the support they give me. The wicket was holding up a bit and with shorter straight boundaries compared to that of square boundaries, I was aiming over the bowler’s head. There are longer boundaries and you need to rotate the strike. With Shivam Dube and Mahi Bhai still left in the dugout, I went hard once I was well set,” Ruturaj Gaikwad said.

In 13 games that Ruturaj Gaikwad has played, the opener has 504 runs to his name. Chennai will take on Gujarat in the Qualifiers 1 on May 23. This is CSK’s 12th playoff in the 14 seasons they’ve played. The CSK franchise has made a great comeback after staying at the bottom last year. With speculation of this being MS Dhoni’s last season, it’ll be interesting to see how the team plays in their next match.