IPL 2020 : “It was a drastic change, the captain freed me up,” Ruturaj Gaikwad recalls inspiring conversation with MS Dhoni
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Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni
Young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad turned out to be the only positive for Chennai Super Kings in a season marred with injuries and disappointment. The 13th season of the Indian Premier League turned out to be the worst season for CSK as they finished seventh in the league stage, a first for the three-time champions. But with all the trouble came hope. A young player who showed his great temperament and skill as the franchise finished the season on a high note.
Ruturaj got off the wrong foot in the UAE as he contracted the virus just before the season. This meant he was in quarantine for more than two weeks before returning to training. The poor season for him continued as he was sent packing for a duck on his IPL debut. The youngster was clearly devasted as he came up with scores of 5 and 0 in his next two games before being dropped the side.
Try and enjoy these games
Ruturaj’s confidence was devasted with the first three games and it reflected in his fielding. With so much going on, skipper MS Dhoni stepped up to calm the youngster down. Ruturaj recalls Dhoni encourages him to enjoy the games and not worry about the performance.
“Dhoni walked up to me and asked me if I was under pressure. He said, ‘We don’t want to pressurise you, but we have expectations from you. All I want to tell you is you are going to play the next three games without any doubt, whether you score a run or not. Try and enjoy these games and not think about performance,” Gaikwad told Sportstar.
The simple conversation with his charismatic skipper worked miracles for the youngster as he ramped three fifties in a row to make up for the rocky start. Ruturaj hails the inspiring conversation change the way he approaches his game completely and that is where the turn around started. He feels that Dhoni free him up from his frame of mind and that was all the push he needs.
“He told me not to worry about ups and downs and to enjoy the performance. After that chat, my thought process changed. Till then, I was desperately thinking about stuff like when will I get my first boundary in the IPL or when will I have my first impact, even with a 15-20 run cameo.”
“But after that conversation, it was a drastic change. I remember during that RCB game, I was only thinking about contributing to the team’s cause in that situation. I think the captain sensed my frame of mind, changed my thought process, and freed me up,” Gaikwad said.
With Shane Watson‘s retirement, Gaikwad has cemented his place in the side for seasons to come.
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Anshuman Mahapatra
(1496 Articles Published)