In the subsequent season, Gaikwad played a pivotal role at the top of the order in CSK’s fourth Indian Premier League (IPL) title triumph. He scored 635 runs in 16 matches to claim the IPL 2021 Orange Cap, leading to the franchise retaining him for ₹6 crore ahead of the mega auctions.
Recalling his interaction with MS Dhoni prior to making his IPL debut against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2020, Gaikwad said during a talk with students at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai:
Gaikwad was dismissed for a duck on his debut. Despite registering a duck in his maiden outing as an opener as well, the promotion eventually worked wonders for him.
Expressing his gratitude towards MS Dhoni for the faith he has shown in him over the last couple of seasons, Gaikwad added:
He continued:
His exploits in the IPL helped him earn a call-up to the national side as well. Till date, he has represented India in eight T20I matches.
“It will not happen that every day you will score runs” - Ruturaj Gaikwad
The Maharashtra-born batter went through a rough patch at the start of the 2022 season after scoring only one run from the first three matches. He slowly got his rhythm back and ended the season with an average run-tally of 368 with a strike rate of 126.46.
Stating that the key is to remain positive when things do not go well, Gaikwad said:
Gaikwad was in good touch while playing for India A against New Zealand A. He scored 108 and 94 in the first and second innings respectively in the third unofficial Test in Bengaluru.
Will the classy opening batter be in Team India’s plans for the future in white-ball cricket? Let us know what you think?
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