Gujarat Titans began their title defense on a high note with an emphatic five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK). However, it was the superb knock of CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad that caught the attention of Gujarat skipper Hardik Pandya, leaving him highly impressed.
Gaikwad’s exceptional batting skills and stroke-making ability showcased his immense talent, leaving the Gujarat skipper in awe of his performance. Despite the loss, Gaikwad’s efforts were lauded by many, and it is clear that he has a bright future ahead of him in the world of cricket.
“He was punishing good balls”
In the season opener played in Ahmedabad on Friday, Gujarat Titans put on a fantastic display of batting to chase down a target of 179 set by Chennai Super Kings. Opener Shubman Gill led the way with a blistering knock of 63 off just 36 balls, while the rest of the batting lineup also contributed with some valuable runs. Although Ruturaj Gaikwad put up a valiant effort for CSK, scoring an impressive 92 runs, it was not enough to stop the Titans from securing a comprehensive five-wicket victory.
After the match, Gujarat skipper Hardik Pandya was all praise for Gaikwad’s performance, stating that if he had not gotten out after scoring 92 runs, Chennai could have ended up posting a mammoth total of 220-230. “To be very honest, we all know the kind of player he is, at one point of time it looked like CSK would score 220-230. We were finding it difficult as to what areas we should bowl because he’s an all-round cricketer, plays cricketing shots.”, Hardik said, applauding Ruturaj for his amazing innings.
Hadik further explained that Ruturaj was punishing good and bad balls alike. He was in the zone and it seemed that no Gujarat bowler would get him out. “Some of the shots that he played were not bad balls, he was punishing the good balls as well. As a bowling unit and as a captain, that made my job more difficult.”, Pandya added.
Indian team will back him
Hardik also mentioned that Ruturaj Gaikwad has been under observation by the Indian team management for a while and is one of those talents India want to hone for the future. “He has the game and I am sure when the time comes Indian cricket team will back him enough.”, Pandya was heard saying.
Hardik also spoke about his team’s performance and said, “We lost one too many wickets. It’s not about blaming it is accepting our mistakes. Within the team we have set quite high standards so even we would have lost the game we would have learned a lot. We still have hope that we were not at our best but we’re still competing.”
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