One Advice from MS Dhoni That Changed the T20 Approach of Ruturaj Gaikwad
The opener, Ruturaj Gaikwad, said the "fearless and aggressive" approach of India helped the team secure the five-match T20I series against Australia and hoped the victory would give fans something to cheer about after the heartbreaking loss of India in the ODI World Cup final. On Friday, India defeated Australia by 20 runs in the fourth T20I to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. He went on to credit Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni for his new approach in the shortest format.
Gaikwad said he has learned the ropes of T20 cricket under the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni during his stint with the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
Gaikwad said, "I learned a lot about this format playing for CSK. Mahi Bhai is always keen on reading situations and understanding the game. He sends a message that you have to look for the team score and what the team requires, irrespective of the situation of the game.”
He further added that, "In T20s, you always have to be ahead of the game mentally, and I give a lot of importance to that. The night before, I visualized what kind of situation may occur during the game and how the pitch may behave. Mahi Bhai always insists that we don't rush our thoughts, because there's enough time for an opener even in a T20 match.”