Ruturaj Gaikwad cleared to play, confirms CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan
In what comes as good news to Chennai Super Kings and its fans, their talismanic batter Ruturaj Gaikwad is all cleared to play in the next season. The club CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed that the right-handed batsman is fit as a fiddle to play the opening fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders.
The IPL 2021 orange cap holder has successfully cleared the fitness test. Hence, he will be looking forward to opening with Devon Conway in the new season. CSK CEO confirmed to InsideSport that the youngster is all fit to play and was also seen practising in Surat with others as well.
Gaikwad scored 636 runs for CSK in the last season and finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer. The Maharashtra-born announced his arrival in style when he scored a hat-trick of half-centuries in the last three games of IPL 2020 season.
His series of knocks helped CSK get rid of a last-place finish in their worst journey in the competition. In the following season, Gaikwad switched gears and had a breakthrough season.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is available for selection: CSK CEO
Earlier, it was reported that Gaikwad is expected to miss the initial couple of games due to injury. Nonetheless, he recovered in time and is set to feature for CSK from the first game onwards. CSK CEO added that Gaikwad cleared the fitness test and has started practising as well.
“Yes, Ruturaj is all fit. He has joined the squad and has begun practice. He is available for selection,” Kasi Viswanathan told InsideSport. The club also gave an update on the team’s expensive seamer, Deepak Chahar. “We don’t know about Deepak Chahar.
He is at the NCA and recovering from the injury. Once the National Cricket Academy gives him the all-clear, only then he will be able to join the squad. But we don’t know when that will happen. We are yet to get any update from the NCA,” he added.
CSK squad:
Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif, Tushar Deshpande, KM Asif, Shivam Dube, Maheesh Theekshana, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Samarjeet Singh, Devon Conway, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Adam Milne, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, C Hari Nishaanth, N Jagadeesan, Chris Jordan, K Bhagath Varma.
