IPL 2021: “We complement each other very well” – Ruturaj Gaikwad on Faf du Plessis
Ruturaj Gaikwad spoke about his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opening partner Faf du Plessis after the duo played a significant role in the team’s seventh win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.
CSK’s opening stand of 71 off 50 balls helped the team chase down Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) target of 156 with 11 balls to spare, enabling their march to the no.1 spot in the IPL 2021 points table.
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Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis have been a very successful opening pair for CSK in this edition of the tournament. Emphasizing the importance of the opening stands and his work equation with Faf du Plessis, the 24-year-old said:
“The opening partnership is always important, whether you are chasing or setting the target. The new ball was coming onto the bat; we just had to play good cricketing shots and ensure we stayed beyond six overs as well.
“We complement each other very well, we know when to attack, when to rotate the strike and which bowler to attack. Our communication is crystal clear.”
After a brilliant match-defining 88 not out in CSK’s win against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday, Ruturaj Gaikwad once again top-scored for his side in their victory against RCB. His 26-ball 38 helped CSK lay the foundation for the chase.
However, the Maharashtra cricketer lamented that he was disappointed after losing his wicket and not finishing the job for his side.
“Happy with the win, but not happy that I couldn’t finish the game. I just try and be consistent and contribute for the team irrespective of the situations and demands,” added Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Worrying signs for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Ruturaj Gaikwad is only likely to up his scoring rate from here.
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Ruturaj Gaikwad enters the top five in the Orange Cap list for IPL 2021
Ruturaj Gaikwad is now the fifth-highest run-getter in IPL 2021, with 322 runs at an average of 40.25, striking at 136.4. He’s 100 runs behind Orange Cap holder Shikhar Dhawan (422 runs). The others on the list are KL Rahul (380 runs), Faf du Plessis (351 runs) and Mayank Agarwal (327 runs).
CSK have benefitted greatly from their in-form openers, notching up seven wins from nine matches and topping the points table.
CSK play fourth-placed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Both teams have registered back-to-back wins in the second phase of the tournament.
Most runs in the first 15 IPL innings:-
[among Indians]
549: Gautam Gambhir
526: Ruturaj Gaikwad*
495: Rohit Sharma
473: Devdutt Padikkal
464: Paul Valthaty
450: MS Dhoni
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