MS Dhoni has stepped down from his post as Chennai Super Kings skipper ahead of IPL 2024. On the day of the pre-season photoshoot with the IPL trophy, Ruturaj Gaikwad represented the defending champions, instead of MS Dhoni.
Ruturaj Gaikwad was picked by Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2019. He made his debut for CSK only in the following season in 2020, against the Rajasthan Royals. His first season did not get him plaudits, but it didn't take him long to establish himself as a mainstay in the CSK lineup.
Gaikwad finished the 2021 season as the tournament's leading run-scorer (635 runs in 16 games), as Chennai Super Kings won its fourth IPL title. Ever since he has been a household name in the IPL and has even threaded his way into the national team.
The Maharashtra-born cricketer made his international debut in the T20I format against Sri Lanka in July 2021. Ever since, Gaikwad has represented the country in white-ball cricket. Having played six ODIs and 19 T20Is, the 27-year-old has scored over 600 runs in 23 innings.
Gaikwad was chosen to be the next leader of the "Daddies Army". Having received the baton from MS Dhoni, pressure surmounts on the youngster, to deliver trophies and success for the franchise that CSK is!
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Why did MS Dhoni pick Ruturaj Gaikwad as CSK captain?
Ruturaj Gaikwad has been associated with the CSK family for over five seasons now. Dhoni has always spoke highly of Gaikwad.
Gaikwad has captained Maharashtra in the domestic tournaments. After being chosen as the white-ball captain in 2020, Ruturaj has performed better as a player too! Unlike Jadeja, whose form as a player, dipped after being handed over the CSK captaincy in 2022, Ruturaj has handled the captaincy pressure, well.
The right-hand batter has captained Maharashtra in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, and also led his state and Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) franchise, Puneri Bappa, in T20 cricket.
| Matches | Won | Tie / NR | Loss | W/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 2.00 |
MORE: How did MS Dhoni handover CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad?
Will Ruturaj Gaikwad rise to prominence for India?
In a position that faces the problem of plenty, Gaikwad remains on the outskirts of being considered as a first-choice opening batter. With the rise of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the recent months, Gaikwad will have to prove himself as a batsman extraordinaire, to rise above Jaiswal and Gill, in the pecking order.
However, Indian captain Rohit Sharma is at the fag end of his career. With a slot opening up for an opener, Ruturaj could be in the mix. He has already been handed a "Grade C" central contract by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). If he had a stellar IPL 2024, he could well be in the reckoning for a place in the T20I World Cup squad!
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