Former Australian cricketer and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey has praised Ruturaj Gaikwad’s batting abilities, stating that he can represent India at the international level, despite not having much success in his stint for India in T20s.
In the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Gaikwad has been vital in both the games CSK have played, scoring 92 and 57 against the Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants, respectively. He currently leads the run charts for the IPL 2023 Orange Cap.
Hussey, who has been working with Gaikwad for the last few years, lauded Ruturaj’s batting skills and emphasized how much he has improved since joining the team. The Australian stated that he admires Gaikwad’s game and his approach. He also expressed that the opening batter makes it difficult for bowlers since he can easily knock good balls for fours or sixes.
“It’s been amazing to watch him develop since he was first here at CSK to where he is. I love his game and how he goes about it,” Hussey told reporters. “He doesn’t try to become a big slogger or anything. He plays beautiful cricket shots, has an all-round game, and is slowly adding more power. He is making it very difficult for bowlers to bowl to him because he can also hit good balls for fours or sixes,” he added.
Although Gaikwad has not had much success in his stint for India in the shortest format, Hussey believes he can represent India internationally. The 47-year-old further stated that the next time he plays for team India, he will have learned his lessons from the past and will put those skills into practice.
“There is no doubt that Ruturaj can play at the international level. He is such a self-aware player and has a great understanding of his game and what he needs to improve. The next time he gets an opportunity to play for India, I think he will have learned his lessons from the previous times and will put those lessons into play to help him succeed,” Hussey said.
Gaikwad was instrumental in the 2021 edition, with CSK winning the IPL title for the fourth time. With 635 runs, he was the leading scorer in 2021 and eventually won the Orange Cap. However, in the 2022 edition of the IPL, he only scored 368 runs from 14 matches, as the four-time champions placed second from the bottom of the points table.
With Gaikwad’s current form, it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his momentum and earn a well-deserved place in the Indian team soon.
