"I think Faf would be jealous a little bit!" - Ruturaj Gaikwad on record opening stand with Devon Conway in IPL 2022
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Ruturaj Gaikwad played a sensational knock of 99 to keep his team's hopes alive in the tournament against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). His opening partner Devon Conway also played his part, remaining unbeaten on 85 off just 55 balls.
The opening stand between Gaikwad and Conway (182) was also the highest in the history of the IPL for CSK. Ruturaj Gaikwad shared a great bond with former Super Kings opener Faf du Plessis and gave a tongue-in-cheek reply while talking about his record stand with Conway.
Speaking in a video posted by CSK on YouTube, here's what Gaikwad said about how current RCB skipper Du Plessis might be feeling after CSK's record opening stand:
"It was a record partnership (with Conway), highest for CSK. I think Faf would be jealous a little bit (laughs) but it's nice to have that support. We didn't expect it to happen this much. But we wanted to start well and keep wickets in hand."
The 25-year-old went on to add about Conway:
"I felt the pitch was slow and him playing his second game, I wanted his nerves to settle. It was just his second game for this franchise and he was eager to make a mark. Really happy for him."
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Ruturaj Gaikwad on his family watching him play from the stands
Ruturaj Gaikwad was delighted to see his family attend last night's game and he felt lucky to have contributed a match-winning score in their presence. The CSK opener stated that he is happy to bring smiles to the faces of his family through his knock. He said:
"It's really special, I can't put it in words. Because they (family) don't usually come to see my matches. But I wanted them to come and experience the atmosphere, the CSK thing and the crowd and everything. Obviously, they don't come with the expectation of me scoring. But I know it might be playing in their minds."
Gaikwad is hopeful that by watching him play against SRH, his family will want to visit the stadium more often. He added:
"I would like to thank God and thank them for supporting me. Hopefully I made them proud because we lost out last game here but we won this match and I gave my best. I hope they will come for the next games too."
CSK will need to win all their remaining games and hope that results elsewhere go their way if they are to make it into the playoffs.