Wasim Akram’s Bold Prediction For The Indian Youngster Says, “He has a Bright Future Ahead”
Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Ishan Kishan are some of the most talked about Indian youngsters these days but one name that gets overlooked is Ruturaj Gaikwad. For those, who already don’t know, Gaikwad plays for CSK in the IPL and has played 10 international matches as well. Gaikwad is one player who has always been rated highly in domestic cricket and we saw the best of him in IPL under the captaincy of great MS Dhoni.
Wasim Akram about Ruturaj Gaikwad
While talking to Sportskeeda, Wasim Akram showered praises for the 26-year-old, Gaikwad. Akram said that “He came up with an excellent performance under pressure. The plus with him is that he is physically very fit. He is a very good fielder and is young as well. Gaikwad has a bright future when it comes to Indian cricket as well as the franchises he plays for.” The Sultan of Swing seems to have enjoyed Gaikwad’s batting and he is not very far away from becoming a permanent member of India’s squad.
Gaikwad in IPL 2023
Rajuraj Gaikwad was exceptional throughout the IPL 2023, carrying his form from the last few seasons. Gaikwad smashed 590 runs this season for CSK. Let’s take a look at his performance in the IPL throughout his career.
| Season | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s |
| 2020 | 6 | 6 | 204 | 51.00 | 120.71 | 3 | – |
| 2021 | 16 | 16 | 635 | 45.35 | 136.26 | 4 | 1 |
| 2022 | 14 | 14 | 368 | 26.29 | 126.46 | 3 | – |
| 2023 | 16 | 15 | 590 | 42.14 | 147.50 | 4 | – |
Gaikwad also scored a very crucial 26 in the IPL 2023 Final against Gujarat Titans which CSK won. He has proper technique and impeccable timing making him a great find for Indian cricket as well as Chennai Super Kings.
Well said by Akram