Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian cricketer, has heaped praise on Chennai Super Kings’ new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad for his impressive leadership debut in the IPL opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Gaikwad, who took over the captaincy just before the start of the IPL, has big shoes to fill, but he made a promising start under the guidance of talisman MS Dhoni. CSK emerged victorious in the match, defeating RCB by six wickets.
Gavaskar was particularly impressed with Gaikwad’s bowling changes. “His bowling changes were absolutely terrific,” said Gavaskar. “He kept swapping Deepak Chahar, keeping faith in Tushar Deshpande for that final over.”
Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman played a crucial role in CSK’s victory, returning with his best IPL figures of 4/29 to rattle RCB’s top-order. Gavaskar believes that Dhoni’s presence on the team has made a significant difference.
“We see over here, he has, of course, MS Dhoni around him, to guide him, tell him and give him the encouragement,” said Gavaskar. “Sometimes, that little nod from somebody as experienced and as accomplished as MSD, makes a big difference.”
Gavaskar also criticized RCB’s bowling strategy, which he felt was too one-dimensional. “Yes, try the short ball by all means, but when it wasn’t working … it looked like that’s all they were looking to do,” said Gavaskar. “You had somebody like a Dagar, who had bowled 2 overs for 6 six runs. I know the way the left-hand spinner can be picked for 6, but you got to take a chance.”
Overall, Gavaskar was impressed with Gaikwad’s captaincy and believes that he has the potential to lead CSK to success in the IPL.
