NEW DELHI: Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s journey as the captain of Chennai Super Kings has been commendable so far, steering the franchise to three wins in five matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League season.
While Gaikwad, handpicked as MS Dhoni’s successor, has led with promise, cricketing legend Virender Sehwag recently shared valuable advice for the young skipper, drawing parallels from Dhoni’s iconic leadership journey.
In a candid conversation on Cricbuzz, Sehwag underscored the significance of leadership qualities over immediate results, reminiscing about Dhoni’s unexpected triumph in the ICC World T20 2007. “You can either look at a captain based on results or whether he has leadership abilities. And he has both. See, nobody expected MS Dhoni to win the T20 World Cup,” Sehwag remarked, shedding light on Dhoni’s transformative captaincy stint.
Drawing parallels, Sehwag emphasized that Gaikwad’s leadership journey could follow a similar trajectory of growth and recognition, akin to Dhoni’s ascension from T20 glory to becoming a revered figure in Indian cricket.
“But after he won, the expectations became bigger and then they started thinking about making him the ODI captain as well. Same with Gaikwad, results will show with time, but he has definitely shown the signs that he is cool and calm and uses his bowlers well. He is the best player to captain CSK right now,” Sehwag stated, highlighting Gaikwad’s potential to elevate CSK’s stature through his astute leadership.

With CSK currently positioned fourth in the IPL points table, Gaikwad’s leadership acumen and tactical nous have played pivotal roles in the team’s success. Sehwag’s insightful advice serves as a guiding light for Gaikwad as he continues to lead CSK’s charge towards IPL glory, shaping his journey as a captain and inspiring future generations with his leadership prowess.