'Backed By Management' CSK's Gaikwad Finally Comes Good After Initial Stutter

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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Ruturaj Gaikwad finally came good after ordinary performances in the first three Indian Premier League (IPL) matches to score 64 (off 42 balls) against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday night.

Gaikwad had scored 10, 5 and 5 in the previous three matches.

"The first three games I did not get a good start and thankfully I got a start today. When you have such experienced players in the dressing room, it makes your job easy," said Gaikwad after his innings and his 115-run first wicket partnership with Faf du Plessis helped CSK to an imposing 220/3 in 20 overs.

"They (the team management) just kept backing me and even that small innings (10 runs) in the last game they found some positives. They knew there were 1-2 good deliveries. The confidence was always there and when other players came up to have a chat, it felt really good," added Gaikwad while expressing gratitude to his teammates for having reposed faith in him.

The right-handed batsman, who plays for Maharashtra in domestic cricket, had made his IPL debut last year and aggregated 204 runs in six matches at an average of 51. He hammered three half-centuries in those six matches and CSK management had called him one of the positives from the 2020 season.

Prior to the 2020 season in UAE, he had tested positive for Covid-19 and had to be kept in isolation before he was allowed to join the team.