"I couldn't dare to ask him" - Ruturaj Gaikwad reveals mood in CSK camp after MS Dhoni's retirement announcement
Almost 10 months after MS Dhoni announced an unanticipated retirement from international cricket, Ruturaj Gaikwad has given some insight into the mood in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp in the moments that followed.
Ruturaj Gaikwad said on Thursday that no player had a hint of the announcement and they couldn't dare to ask MS Dhoni about it.
The opening batsman also recalled how the CSK contingent practiced and got together like any other day only to go into a ride of shock and grief in the space of a few minutes.
"I don't have any idea about that (if MS Dhoni will retire before next year's IPL). Because I remember he announced his [international] retirement on 15th August last year. On that day, we were 10-12 people in Chennai practicing just before leaving Dubai. Around 6:30 pm our practice got over and at 7:00 we all, including Mahi bhai, sat for dinner. And suddenly someone told me on Instagram that Mahi bhai had announced his retirement! There was no vibe that something like that was going to happen, no discussions, no one knew anything at all. So, you never know with him. Anything can happen," Ruturaj Gaikwad told India Tv.
Ruturaj Gaikwad added that it took 2-3 days for the announcement to completely sink in for the CSK players.
"I couldn't dare to ask him because we all were still grieving. It didn't sink in immediately that we won't see him again in international cricket or that a man of his stature has retired like this. It took 2-3 days to relaise it. Not only me, but for everyone present there."
MS Dhoni's achievements in his illustrious 15-year-long career are secret to none. Inarguably India's most successful white-ball captain, Dhoni announced his retirement on India's Independence Day (August 15) through social media.
A man of few words, he put up a video of the memories he had with the Indian cricket team, accompanied by an emotional song.
Whenever MS Dhoni catches me eating sweets, he says "Enjoy, it's your time" - Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad also shared a hilarious anecdote about his captain. He said MS Dhoni often catches him eating sweets during the IPL but instead of calling him out, simply quips that it's his age and time to enjoy these things.
"Mahi bhai doesn't have a specific diet pattern. He leaves it to the individual to do and eat anything off the field and demands just 100% effort on the field. And this has often happened that he sees what's in my dish, like sweets Gulab Jamun or Rass Malayi, or other sweets than he just makes any eye contact with me and then says 'These are your days, enjoy', 'You can eat because your body type can take it'."
Ruturaj Gaikwad also revealed that once, seeing a TV commercial about MS Dhoni's sacrifices, he too gave up milkshakes and sweets.
However, when MS Dhoni found out about this, he explained to the youngster that their body types are different and he should go about his diet accordingly.
"In a recent ad, MS Dhoni had talked about how he has sacrificed his favorite milkshake. I felt bad that someone like him as left his favorite thing and from that day I also stopped having milkshakes and sweets. And somehow this reached him and he came to me and said 'My body type was like that I used to get fat if I ate too much but your body type is different. At the end of the day, you know how your body reacts to different things'," concluded Ruturaj Gaikwad.
CSK ended the first half of IPL 2021 in second place on the points table. They will be back in action when the tournament resumes in September in the UAE.