By scoring unbeaten 19 and 58 in the first two T20Is against Ireland, Ruturaj Gaikwad is looking in good nick. It was imperative for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener to start the Ireland tour on a positive note, as after this series, Gaikwad will lead India in the Asian Games tournament set to be played at Hangzhou in China from September 19.
By having played with MS Dhoni in CSK, the young right-hand batter is keen to take one game at a time during Asian Games.
“Leadership role is a very complicated thing to be honest. What Mahi bhai (Dhoni) always says is to take it one game at a time, don’t worry about the future. Everyone creates hype and whatever it is. I am not the kind of person who tracks social media and hear things about what anyone is saying about me,” Gaikwad mentioned after the second T20I against Ireland on Sunday.
In the second T20I, the situation was ideal for the 26-year-old to drop anchor after two quick wickets and mix caution with aggression. The move paid off for Gaikwad as he scored his second fifty in T20Is in 13 matches.
“This series is very important to me. It makes a big difference when you are playing the series from the first match. You come in with a lot of confidence, a lot of preparation, and the right mindset. But I think you also accept sometimes that there is no space in the main team; there are batters who are doing really well. It is a mixed feeling,” Gaikwad stated.
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Asian Games 2023: In-form Gaikwad keen to continue good work in Continental Games
Although there is one T20I left against Ireland, Gaikwad is already planning for Asian Games. Like he did in the first T20Is against the Irish, the right-hand batter would be eager to bat through the innings and let other batters bat aggressively around him. India have a lot of hard-hitting batters in the Asian Games squad, like Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh.
It is here that Gaikwad’s role will be crucial to bat and not miss out on the scoring opportunities as well. When quizzed about the advantage of being an opener, Gaikwad opined that he can assess the wicket and then play his shots.
“I think being an opener, I have the luxury to eat up some balls upfront. Face 10-15 balls, and then come back and cover. It is difficult for batters coming in. Usually, there are fewer overs left. Sometimes 8 or 10. They cannot afford to play too many dot balls. Being an opener, it is always great to assess the wicket, play accordingly and figure out what shots you can play and what shots you can’t play,” the right-hander added.
India will directly play in the quarter-final round of the Asian Games owing to finishing higher in the ICC T20I rankings. This will be the first time Gaikwad will lead India in the multi-nation tournament.
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