Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad praised MS Dhoni’s fitness even in the 18th edition of IPL.
Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad shared insights on his decision to push himself down the batting order in CSK’s four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians. Gaikwad allowed impact player Rahul Tripathi to open alongside Rachin Ravindra, but the move did not yield the desired result as Tripathi failed to make an impact. Batting at number three, Gaikwad and Ravindra struck fluent half-centuries to guide CSK to victory.
Gaikwad praised MS Dhoni’s fitness, saying, “He is more fitter this year, and he is still looking young,” in a post-match interaction, as quoted by NDTV.
“That is the requirement of the team (talking about the move to bat at three), and that gives the team more balance. I am really happy to change my position,” Gaikwad also added during the post-match presentation. He lauded the spinners, especially CSK debutant Noor Ahmad, who took four wickets and played a pivotal role in restricting MI.
“The spinners were right on point, and right after the auction, one thing we were really excited about was all those three spinners bowling in tandem at Chepauk. Khaleel (pacer) is experienced, and Noor is an X-factor, and that is why we wanted him in the team. Good to have Ashwin as well,” Gaikwad added.
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Mumbai Indians’ stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged the contribution of IPL debutant Vignesh Puthur, who took three wickets and kept MI in the game. “We were 15-20 runs short, but the fight the boys showed was commendable. MI is known for that – giving youngsters opportunities, the scouts do this for 10 months, and he (Vignesh) is a product of that,” said Suryakumar.
“I kept his one over in the pocket if the game went deep, but it was a no-brainer to give him the 18th over. He has a bright future. There wasn’t any dew, but it was sticky. The way Ruturaj batted in the second innings took the game away from us,” Suryakumar concluded.
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