From The Streets of Pune to The Gates of Chepauk: CSK Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's Journey So Far

From the streets of Pune to taking over the reins of Chennai Super Kings from the talisman MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s rise to the top has been a journey for all those who dream to witness and marvel at.

The Maharashtrian broke into the domestic circuit with his acclaimed run at the Vijay Hazare tournament back in 2016 when he finished as the third-highest run-getter of the season. Success has been the only thing that followed after, as his rise to prominence was undeterred by the free-flowing opener’s stellar showcases in first-class cricket.

It was then in 2019 when the fated youngster would find his big break, as Chennai Super Kings signed him on for a mere Rs 20 lakhs for the upcoming year’s edition of the IPL.

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Gaikwad’s debut year may not have been the most explosive. But, just like the right-handed opener himself, his campaign was a reflection of his consistency and resilience to rise to the occasion when needed. Ruturaj finished his campaign after making 6 appearances for the Men in Yellow, notching up a solid 204 runs with a spectacular average of 51.00 runs.

This was merely the calm before the storm, as his next season with the Chennai side would prove to be his breakout season. The batter went on a rampage, scoring a swashbuckling 635 runs in the 2021 campaign, leading his side from the front with the bat. Gaikwad’s wondrous showing, which was pivotal in CSK’s success that season where they ended up hoisting the coveted IPL trophy once again, was the moment when all took notice of the poised batter. As his reward, Gaikwad was retained by the CSK ahead of the 2022 edition of the league for INR 6 crore.

The only way to go after that was up for Ruturaj, who became a pivotal piece of CSK’s teams thereafter, as he solidified his position as their opener for seasons to come. International success as well followed suit accordingly as the Pune-based batter made his T201 and ODI debuts for India.

Gaikwad once again proved to be an invaluable asset for Chennai Super Kings last season, as he cemented his status as the stalwart opener for the side, notching up yet another fabulous season with the bat scoring 590 runs in 16 outings, and leading the scoring charts for the soon-to-be champions yet again.

Today proved to be the culmination of all of Gaikwad’s efforts so far, as defending champions Chennai Super Kings took to X, to let the world know that the boy from Pune has indeed taken over the role from the legendary MS Dhoni.

Dhoni, who is now 42 years of age, has captained Super Kings since the IPL began in 2008 – except the two years when the franchise was suspended in the wake of the 2013 spot-fixing case – but handed over the reins to Ravindra Jadeja at the start of the 2022 season, before reclaiming it 8 matches later following a string of losses.

This marks itself as the most pivotal moment in Gaikwad’s blossoming career, especially in the shorter formats both domestically and internationally, as the results of his new endeavour shall go on to define the batter’s future ahead.

Will Gaikwad stand up to the task and lead CSK to yet another shot at glory, or will he falter? The lights shall shine the brightest on young Gaikwad as the first test of all for the young batter begins tomorrow, with CSK taking on rivals Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opener of the IPL 2024 season, right at home in Chennai.