Ruturaj Gaikwad had been ready to lead the Chennai Super Kings for the last two years and so wasn’t really shocked when he was handed over the responsibility before this year’s IPL.
“I remember in 2022 when he (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) told me, ‘Probably not next year, but after that, you might get a chance to lead, so be ready for it’. So, obviously after that, I was always ready for it,” Gaikwad said after Chennai’s 7-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday.
“To be honest, (did) not really (have) deep conversations. I feel it was in a very chilled state. Just one conversation I would say. Just we were practising and he came and told me all this stuff. Obviously, everyone, others on the outside, would think they are big shoes to fill, but I feel I would always be myself and I would like to continue the culture that has been going on,” he added.
As the captain, the continuity of the CSK culture is Gaikwad’s chief goal. “Captaincy-wise, I don’t want to be a specific kind of character. Just let things flow and keep the culture of CSK going. The success that we had and the things we have been doing, I don’t want to change a single bit of it.”
