New Delhi: Ruturaj Gaikwad seems to have learned a thing or two from legendary India wicketkeeper MS Dhoni, as revealed during the ongoing Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) 2024. The newly appointed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper, who took over the duties from Dhoni, replicated his flamboyant skills by donning the wicketkeeping gloves for Puneri Bappa in an MPL 2024 clash.
Gaikwad’s new role and his execution left many fans and cricket pundits in awe of the young cricketer’s abilities. As Gaikwad took the baton from Dhoni ahead of the IPL 2024, the ex-India skipper must have surely passed on his vast expertise that could be seen in Gaikwad’s glovework. The 27-year-old went behind the stumps with the big gloves, announcing a fresh and new role for himself.
Gaikwad’s wicketkeeping debut was indeed excellent as he impressed everyone with his “newly-found” skills. On the very first delivery of the innings, Gaikwad showcased his agility and reflexes by diving to his right to stop a wide delivery that could have raced to the boundary. The clip of his impressive acrobat soon went viral as fans started drawing parallels from Dhoni and some even joked about Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson’s spot in danger.
Watch the video here –
Ruturaj Gaikwad 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙨 for Puneri Bappa 🧤#MaharashtraPremierLeague#JioCinemaSports#MPLonJioCinema #MPLonSports18 pic.twitter.com/8WqsmSa5Sr
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) June 17, 2024
Ruturaj Gaikwad in MPL 2024
Nonetheless, Gaikwad is a pure batter and has his unshaken attention on the same role. In the ongoing MPL season, he has been the leading run-scorer for Puneri Bappa, having amassed 290 runs at an impressive average of 48.33 and a strike rate of 168.60, including two fifties.
He was last seen in the IPL 2024, leading CSK in what was his debut season as the captain. However, he couldn’t lead the five-time champions to qualify for the playoff stage but shone with the bat smashing 583 runs in 14 games at an average of 53, and ended the tournament on a personal high, as the second-highest run-getter.
Ruturaj Gaikwad donned the wicketkeeping gloves for Puneri Bappa in a Maharashtra Premier League 2024 match and left everyone in awe of his flamboyant skills behind the stumps. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today