‘Finishing the match with MS Dhoni was nostalgic for me’ – Ruturaj Gaikwad
Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets sealing their third win of IPL 2024.
Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad addressed the media in the post-match press conference.
Excerpts from the chat
On CSK’s bowling
I would say no particular process. Just that I thought in the first six hours they got off to a really good start and looking at the wicket I think no one really felt that it would be sticky but after Jaddu's first over, we got to know that it was slightly sticky.
So I just felt that spinners coming from both ends, it will be tougher for batsmen, especially their batsmen, who always like to take the game on. If we get two, three wickets within that three, four-overs span, we can have a chance to come back in the game. And I think that's what happened. And after that, I think from seven to, I think, 14 or 15 overs, we just controlled the game, didn't really give too many boundaries. And they were struggling to rotate the strike because that's not their style of playing. So definitely that middle phase really helped us.
And at the end, I feel not only Fizz but even Tushar and Shardul, they adapted to the wicket and the conditions really well, knowing that the slower balls were gripping. We didn't really want to give pace to Russell and even to Rinku as well. So that was just the plan.
On the Chepauk pitch
Nothing really special, I feel it's just about assessing the wicket as early as possible and just passing on your thoughts to the other team members. So, last two games we thought that the wicket was really good, it just came on to the bat really well.
I still feel that they would have got to 160-170 but after that it was really tough and even in the second innings you can see that the ball was slightly holding even though there was some amount of dew as well.
I think looking at the wicket we never felt it would be sticky but I feel that the sudden climate change with what two days before it was a lot humid and a lot of dew was there so that just played a little part.
On the team’s performance and his captaincy
I think in five games the couple of losses that we had I felt we were just marginally here and there. You know the Delhi game I felt we couldn't connect hits later on. They bowled really well.
And captaincy-wise, I feel I don't want to be a specific kind of character, just like to flow with things as they are flowing, keep the culture of CSK basically going, that's what I feel and the success we had, the things we had been doing, I don't want to change a single bit of it. And I just wanted to come there, take my own decisions, and just give as much freedom as possible, because that's what was happening since I started playing for CSK. So, nothing really changes, and I'm enjoying a lot.
> On his conversation with MS Dhoni
I feel obviously for everyone, others who are outside would obviously think that there are big shoes to feel and this and that. But I feel, I would like to always be myself. I would like to continue, as I said, the culture which has been going. And definitely, I remember in 2022 was where he said to me that, you know, 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.
It was nothing that it came new to me or was a bit surprised or shocked, nothing new. I know how to control the game, I know how the game progresses, which change, what to do when, as I was doing for the state team as well.
So I feel, and even last year, Fleming and me always used to discuss about the captaincy thing after every game, about how I felt, what changes, bowling changes, what I felt we needed to do, or this or that, or what was the thinking behind it. So yeah. Every game we had one-on-one conversations, so I think that was just really building it up.
On his batting
I feel there are certain things where the outside people don’t really get to know. One I would say is last year the three-four games that we started, I think you should see at Ahmedabad then Chennai and Mumbai and then I think again Chennai. All three or four games were on flat wickets. So, I feel the pitch really matters a lot.
First game I thought I had got a good start Second game, same I think I had got a good start, had to accelerate a little bit. You tend to make a mistake there. And third game again I felt, was in great shape. So sometimes there are phases where you get good balls, sometimes there are phases where you are slightly unlucky, sometimes there are phases where things just don't fall in place.
So, you don't need to think on that particular aspect. So I always felt I was in good shape, batting really well, good head space, so I wasn't really worried.
On his captaincy
Definitely, I mean if you don't get hurt after a loss then you are not playing cricket passionately. Definitely everyone gets hurt but I would say in a tournament like IPL you are bound to lose a few games. So obviously you have to approach every game with the same intensity.
Sometimes the opposition plays really good cricket, sometimes the toss matters, sometimes, we don't capitalize on certain things. So there are a few things about it. And I think about the team changes, all the changes we have made so far are forced changes. If you would see, we didn't have Pathirana in the first game, then, we had Pathirana and Fizz in the second game. We didn't have both of them probably in the fourth game, so we had to change the combination. So probably we needed two off-spinners last game, so we had to rest Rizvi.
This game again, Deepak had a slight niggle. So, every game we are having forced changes and I think with the impact player rule, having that extra batter really matters.
On batting with MS Dhoni
I was actually thinking it was a little bit tricky situation. I knew that he was facing the last ball, there was less chance of him taking a single and facing the next over again and I was always thinking that probably If he gets to play two three dot balls, I go and play and if I have the opportunity to get a dot ball, I would have definitely done it. But yeah, as I said, it was a little bit nostalgic for me, even my first 50, we ended (up) finishing the match together. That was the first time I was batting with him. So obviously, immediately when he was walking in, I had that flashback in my mind. So good to share the 22 yards with him again.