CSK head coach Michael Hussey feels that Ruturaj Gaikwad’s growth as the team’s new captain has been greatly aided by the presence and involvement of the legendary MS Dhoni. Since taking over the leadership duties in the ongoing IPL season, Ruturaj has led the five-time IPL champions to an inconsistent season.

According to Hussey, Ruturaj’s ability to shift between captaincy and batting this season has improved since he has head coach Stephen Fleming and other experienced players like MS Dhoni for guidance.

On May 12, CSK defeated Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets, giving them a significant advantage in the playoff race. On the back of the outstanding bowling spell from Simarjeet Singh (3/26), and solid batting from Ruturaj (unbeaten 42 off 41 balls), CSK secured the vital win.

With 14 points from 13 games, the victory pushed the reigning champions to third place in the standings. Ruturaj was hailed for using the bowlers effectively and starred with the bat as well.

“As captain, I believe Ruturaj has been outstanding. He also has a very collected approach. Luckily, he’s got brilliant minds working with him early in the game. It’s obvious that MS is still there, guiding him in the background. Fleming is present as well. Ruturaj can improve,” said Hussey.

“I obviously believe he’s doing a great job. However, it seems that he will only get better as a captain the more he is comfortable  in his role as captain. We observed how he played against. Rajasthan and he had a keen sense of the game and a very good cricket brain. He knew when to slow down and when to pick it up. The more wins he gets, the more he would be confident in himself. This was Dhoni’s greatest quality,” the former Aussie batter stated.

In addition to being a fantastic captain, Ruturaj has excelled with the bat, amassing 583 runs with four fifties and one century in 13 games.

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