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'You keep running behind 50s, 100s. It doesn't matter': Shastri's staunch 'future India player' rant on IPL 2023 star
Ravi Shastri didn't mince his words as he talked about the IPL 2023 star following his consistent outings in the season.
A number of youngsters stepped up with consistent performances in the 2023 Indian Premier League, and Chennai Super Kings' Ruturaj Gaikwad is one of them. In 11 matches so far, the star youngster has scored 408 runs and is currently CSK's highest scorer in the season. Following his consistent performances for the side, as well as his impressive outings for Maharashtra in domestic cricket, Gaikwad was included in Team India's touring party for the World Test Championship final against Australia. The young opener is one of the back-up players in the squad.
Gaikwad had enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2021, when he ended as the Orange Cap winner; this year, however, Gaikwad has impressed with his strike rate, scoring at 147.29 (his highest strike rate in an IPL season so far). And former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes it shouldn't be surprising if Gaikwad is soon included in the Indian playing XI as well.
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“He will get confidence. He's a future India player, without a doubt. He has time, talent, he's a great fielder too. If you see his shot selection and range of shots, you should be surprised if he doesn't play for India soon enough,” Shastri told ESPNCricinfo.
When the anchor points out that the CSK opener has largely scored in 30s and 40s and hasn't touched the fifty-run mark in a while (his highest score in CSK's last 10 IPL matches was 47), Shastri snubbed the concerns.
“See, the problems begin when you start running behind a century or a half-century. You only think about 50s or 100s. You also have to see how many matches has he won. I say you score 40 in 20 deliveries, that is more important than a 60-70. Your role at the top is the most important, because you need to give a strong start. Wriddhiman Saha, for example, scores 30-40 but he scores at a fast rate. And in his last match, he scored a brilliant 80. T20 cricket is a game of balls. We think opposite. Your 50s and 100s don't matter,” Shastri further said.
