Ruturaj Gaikwad had the breakthrough moment in his cricketing career when he joined the Chennai Super Kings in 2020 and played a few matches at the end of the season. Since then, his career has shot up, and he has become one of the most prolific scorers in the Indian Premier League.
Not just in the IPL, he has been one of the best performers at the domestic level, which resulted in him getting a chance in the Indian team for T20Is. And now he has also been picked in the Indian Test squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies.
Meanwhile, the 26-year-old credits MS Dhoni and CSK for the growth he has had in his career and his calmness. In a podcast for the BCCI, he explained how Dhoni and CSK made an impact on his career. He said that calmness is the trait he got from CSK.
Gaikwad said, “That (calm nature) is a trait that I got from CSK. My professional career began in Chennai and I have learned a lot of things from Mahi bhai so I just try and apply those things.”
After getting his maiden test call-up for India for the coming West Indies tests, the 26-year-old said that it was a dream come true moment and that he always dreamed of playing test cricket for India. He said that Test cricket is an ultimate format, and a player has to go through many challenges in this format.
He added, “Test cricket has always been a priority for me. I played ODIs and T20Is as well, but there’s a different sense of pride in getting selected in the Test team.”
Team India will lock horns with the West Indies in the first game on July 12 (Wednesday) at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica. India will start their WTC 2023/25 campaign, and it will be interesting to see whether Gaikwad can make his debut or not.
