Ruuturaj Gaikwad at the press conference.
| Photo Credit: R. Ragu
Addressing the media on the eve of the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, both Ruturaj Gaikwad and Suryakumar Yadav reflected on their respective teams and what they look forward to this season.
“Our team’s balance is good. We have covered all bases. Now it is about stepping onto the ground and executing our plans. We are ready for the challenge,” said CSK captain Ruturaj.
“Rachin (Ravindra) is in good form as well. (Rahul) Tripathi is someone with an X-factor in this format. We have a good set of Indian fast bowlers. Mukesh (Choudhary) is bowling well, and Khaleel (Ahmed) is performing right up there. Anshul (Khambhoj) has had a good domestic season, and (Kamlesh) Nagarkoti has impressed me, so we have a solid set of backup players ready,” added Ruturaj.
“Being the first game, we are excited and looking forward to it. We have many exciting players and good characters in the dressing room. We have seen them during the camp, and they are ready for the big stage,” said MI stand-in captain Suryakumar.
The India T20I captain downplayed his position in the batting line-up. “For me batting positions doesn’t matter because I’ll try and bat the same way and make an impact whenever there is an opportunity. This season you might see guys becoming flexible regarding the batting positions, I might bat at No. 3, Tilak (Varma) might bat at No. 5 or vice-versa and with our current form I feel being flexible will work out.”
“I’m a process oriented guy, I like to follow a routine, I like to work hard, if I feel I’m hitting the ball really well and when I go into a game and with a clear mind, that is a sweet spot for me,” he added.
Published – March 22, 2025 11:30 pm IST