In anticipation of MS Dhoni's eventual retirement, former Indian and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter 9 has identified 26-year-old Ruturaj Gaikwad as the potential successor for the captaincy role at CSK. Speaking on The Ranveer Show, Rayudu expressed his belief that Gaikwad, who made his IPL debut for CSK in 2020 and claimed the Orange Cap in 2021 with 635 runs in 16 matches, is the ideal candidate to lead the team after Dhoni steps down.
"I would remember myself as being very flexible in a team environment. I would bat open as well as in the middle order and lower middle order. That is one area where I take a lot of pride in, contributing to the team, and I cherish that aspect a lot in my career," he said on the YouTube podcast.
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Rayudu, who himself retired from all formats of cricket after CSK secured their fifth IPL title in 2023, lauded Dhoni's captaincy and acknowledged his transformative impact on players across formats and nationalities. "But many times I wonder why is he doing something which I wouldn't think is appropriate.
"But end of the day, results show that he was right and he's right 99.9 per cent of the time, that shows he knows what he is doing and he has done it for such a long time and so successfully that I don't think anybody in Indian cricket are in a position to question his decisions now because he's been so successful," Rayudu said.
"I mean see everybody knows that he has brought the best out the best in so many players and across formats, even he has brought out the best in many foreigners that have played for CSK. I think he has it in him. I don't even know how to express it because he is either blessed or he has cultivated it over so many years of playing the sport," Rayudu added about MS Dhoni's captaincy.
Gaikwad, among the four players retained by CSK ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, has accumulated 1797 runs in 52 IPL matches at an impressive average of 39.07. His pivotal role in CSK's title-winning campaigns in 2021 and 2023 has solidified his reputation as a key player for the franchise.
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