Newly appointed Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has a “huge” responsibility on his shoulders but is breathing easier as the likes of MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja are still on the field to guide him. Legend Dhoni handed over the CSK captaincy to Gaikwad on Friday, a day ahead of the IPL opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Gaikwad joined the team in 2019 and has already established himself in the team, but leading the team will be a huge challenge. “It’s an honor. More importantly, it’s a huge responsibility, but I’m really excited because of the team we have. Everyone has enough experience, so there’s not much for me to do ‘s,” Gaikwad said in a short video posted by CSK on social media.

Dhoni will help him in his decision-making to a large extent, as will Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane, who had an impressive batting average last season of 172.49.

“Also, I have Mahi bhai, Jaddu bhai and Ajju bhai (Rahane) in my team who is a great captain and can guide me. So there is nothing to worry about. Looking forward to enjoying it,” the opener added.

Gaikwad is a stylish opener who had a memorable performance last year, scoring a total of 590 runs in 16 games with a strike rate of 147.50. His breakthrough came in 2021 when he scored 635 points in 16 games.

The 27-year-old is no stranger to captaincy, having led India to a gold medal at the Asian Games last year. He also led Maharashtra.

Gaikwad has also played 6 ODIs and 19 T20 internationals.