Having been selected for the first time for the senior India side, batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad has expressed willingness to bat in any position if the team management asks him to in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
In an interview with the Times of India, Gaikwad has exuded confidence in his teammates to win the series against Sri Lanka and commended the leadership style of Shikhar Dhawan, who has been made the captain of the side for this tour.
“Shikhar bhai (Shikhar Dhawan) is a gem of a person and a wonderful human being to be around. He has played international cricket for a long time now. He is a legend of the game. I am really happy to share the dressing room with him. It is going to be a huge learning experience for me to learn from Shikhar bhai. He knows the game in and out. I am really excited,” Gaikwad told TOI.
“I want to take it one game at a time. If Shikhar bhai asks me to open, I will. If he asks me to play in the middle order, I will be ready. I am ready to bat in any position. We just want to win the series in Sri Lanka. I am confident we will,” Gaikwad added.
India are also without their regular coaching staff as the head coach Ravi Shastri and Bharat Arun are there in England for the Test series. The BCCI appointed Rahul Dravid as the coach for the tour and Gaikwad could not have asked for any bigger opportunity of learning the crafts of the game than from Rahul Dravid.
“The best part about Rahul sir is that he gives freedom to the youngsters. He corrects their flaws. He never asks any player to change his style. He has immense knowledge about the game. Playing under a legendary player who will be our coach and learning from him will be a huge thing for me. I am looking forward to taking more and more batting tips from him,” Gaikwad added.
Gaikwad has been playing first-class cricket for Maharashtra in the Indian domestic circuit however it’s his exploits for the Chennai Super Kings that have earned him reckoning and then a place in the Indian squad for the Sri Lanka series.