Bengaluru, Sep 4 (PTI) Ruturaj Gaikwad capitalized on a lengthy five-month injury-induced break by refining his red-ball cricket skills. Despite a promising start to the season, the India batter acknowledged that he still has a long journey ahead in the traditional format. Gaikwad's elbow injury in early April, sustained while playing against Rajasthan Royals, cut short his IPL 2025 campaign as Chennai Super Kings skipper. He also missed the India A series against England Lions ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and withdrew from a County deal with Yorkshire due to personal reasons. However, Gaikwad found a silver lining in these setbacks.
"I had ample time to prepare, particularly after missing the India A series. When I returned, I dedicated my focus to my red-ball game. There's still a long way to go," Gaikwad commented after scoring 184 for West Zone on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone here. His efforts appeared to bear fruit as he notched up a second consecutive hundred after a century against Himachal Pradesh in the Buchi Babu invitational tournament in Chennai.
Was it straightforward for him to reignite his form post-injury? "Not really. It was about committing to the process. The red-ball game requires patience and persistence. I worked on it for one to one and a half months, including the Buchi Babu tournament, which helped," he explained.
Gaikwad also reflected on how his break from cricket allowed him to mentally unwind and spend quality time with family. "Nobody wants to take family time due to an injury. It was an unexpected injury, but I made the best of my time at home, got back into rhythm, and enjoyed the entire process," he shared.
On the field, the 28-year-old adapted to a new challenge, batting at No. 4 across formats for Maharashtra and Chennai Super Kings. "I won’t call it 2.0. In white-ball cricket, I always opened, but in red-ball, a spot at No. 4 was available when I joined Maharashtra. It's about working with the slots available, and now I feel comfortable batting there," he added.
His confidence was evident as he rescued West Zone from a precarious 10 for two with a formidable innings of 184. "I considered it a challenge to face three strong Central Zone fast bowlers. Scoring against them was a test and I’m pleased it worked out," he remarked.
Gaikwad praised Tanush Kotian, with whom he forged a crucial 148-run partnership for the sixth wicket to solidify West Zone’s position. "Tanush bats well and possesses street-smarts. He knows how to manage pressure and score runs effectively. Today, he batted exceptionally well," he noted.
Recently, MS Dhoni expressed confidence in Gaikwad's return to strengthen CSK's lineup in IPL 2026. Gaikwad welcomed the compliment gladly. "Dhoni's support has always been there. Although I missed the last tournament, the team’s subsequent replacements strengthened the squad. My return will add further strength, as he mentioned," Gaikwad affirmed.
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