After India’s second T20I win over Ireland at the Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin on August 20, young batting star Ruturaj Gaikwad shared the leadership guidance he received from great cricketer MS Dhoni.
The 26-year-old hitter hit a tenacious 43-ball 58-run knock as India won the series against Ireland by 33 runs.
Gaikwad added that the captaincy role is really difficult, and the former India captain previously advised him to take it one game at a time and not to worry about the future.
He also mentioned that he does not normally follow social media, which is a tendency he picked up while playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League.
Gaikwad on advice from Dhoni
“I think leadership role is a very complicated thing to be honest. What Mahi bhai always says is to take it one game at a time. Just be in the present moment, don’t worry about the future. Everyone creates hype and whatever it is. I am not the kind of person who do really watch social media and hear things about what anyone is saying about me. I think this is one of the traits that I have learned at CSK. I am pretty much clear about giving my best in the field, coming back home, chilling with my friends,”
said Gaikwad at the post-match press conference.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is expected to captain India in the upcoming Asian Games, which will be hosted in Hangzhou, China, beginning on September 23. The 26-year-old noted that leadership for him is to instill utmost confidence in his colleagues and ensure that they first back themselves.
“Leadership for me is to give maximum confidence to the ten players, who are playing. Make sure that I step into their shoes and think about what they are thinking and what they are going through. Sometimes the batters and bowlers have their own plans, they are really thinking about the game from their perspective.”
“So, I feel it is important to back them in that moment. After the game, there is always an opportunity of what went wrong, what we could have improved. For me in the game particularly, it is more about giving freedom to the players. Make sure they back themselves first. Too many suggestions also create confusion; this is what I believe,”
he added.
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