‘I’ve Mahi Bhai, Jaddu Bhai, Ajju Bhai… Nothing Much to Worry About’: CSK Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad said he feels ‘privileged’ after being appointed as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain and taking the reins from MS Dhoni.

The young skipper also expressed confidence in the team with the blended experience of Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane around.

The CSK on Thursday named opener Ruturaj Gaikwad as the successor of MS Dhoni as their captain, leaving him big shoes to fill as he takes over from a legend. CSK secured the services of Gaikwad at the IPL 2019 player auction and since then he hasn’t disappointed with the bat and will now lead the squad.

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Gaikwad in a video posted by CSK, X (formerly Twitter) handle looked confident and felt privileged to get the charge of leading the team in the season-opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Friday.

“It feels good, obviously it’s a privilege to lead the team. It’s a huge responsibility and I am really excited because of the kind of group we have. Everyone’s experienced enough, so not much to worry about,” said Gaikwad in a video posted by CSK on X.

“I have Mahi bhai in the team, Jaddu bhai (Ravindra Jadeja), Ajju bhai (Ajinkya Rahane), so nothing much to worry about. I am just looking forward to enjoying it,” said Gaikwad.

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Gaikwad has played 52 matches in his IPL career so far and scored 1797 runs, with an average of 39.07, with his highest IPL score being 101 not out. In the IPL Auction 2024, Chennai acquired him for Rs 6.00 crore.

Gaikwad, a stylish opener, had a memorable run last year, aggregating 590 runs in 16 games at an impressive strike rate of 147.50. His breakout year was 2021 when he amassed 635 runs in 16 games.

The 27-year-old is not new to captaincy, having led the Indian team to the gold medal in the Asian Games last year. He has also led his state side Maharashtra.

Gaikwad has also played six ODIs and 19 T20 Internationals.

In 2022, CSK started the IPL with Jadeja as their skipper but it was a move that backfired, with Dhoni taking back the captaincy role.

(With inputs from Agencies)