Cricket

'I feel I am very lucky and fortunate to be able to...' - Ruturaj Gaikwad opens up about playing under MS Dhoni's mentorship

Ruturaj Gaikwad highlighted the CSK skipper MS Dhoni's importance in his career so far and all the learning that he had during IPL

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'I feel I am very lucky and fortunate to be able to...' - Ruturaj Gaikwad opens up about playing under MS Dhoni's mentorship

Despite his retirement from international cricket, former Indian captain MS Dhoni continues to hold significant power within the team. Many young cricketers still look up to Dhoni today, like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The two openers reflected on the priceless times they shared with Dhoni throughout the years while playing in the Indian Premier League.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a platform where budding cricket players get a great chance to learn from the game's greatest players as well as a venue for exhibiting the world's top cricket talent. In the most recent episode of the Indian cricket board podcast, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal, two players who profited from the IPL, discussed their interactions with former Indian captain and current Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni.

The 24-year-old Ruturaj Gaikwad made his IPL debut for CSK in 2019 and has since impressed everyone with his elegant strokeplay and consistency. The opener has led the CSK batting lineup for three seasons and two IPL championships, as well as the orange cap in the 2021 campaign. The IPL opener emphasized the value of Dhoni in his career to date and said he was fortunate to play with and be around him for the length of the tournament.

“I feel I am very lucky and fortunate to be able to spend time with him. I always see players who go and talk to him after matches so then I think I am very lucky that I can talk to him every day for those two or three months and anytime throughout the year when I need something, he is available. He has been a major factor in my career and upbringing, as to how to stay grounded and manage the ups and downs in my game,” Gaikwad said.

Here is Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal's interaction

Before India's opening Test against the West Indies, the Indian cricket board posted a touching conversation involving the two openers on its official Facebook page. During the World Test Championship (WTC) final, the Indian squad took a month off before setting up camp in Dominica to be ready to play again.

MS Dhoni Ruturaj Gaikwad India tour of West Indies