Stephen Fleming: Ruturaj Gaikwad became the youngest hitter to win an orange cap in tournament history and his productive inaugural partnership with Faf du Plessis is one of the reasons the Chennai Super Kings won the tournament, said head coach Stephen Fleming.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is already a “superstar” for Stephen Fleming and his productive inaugural partnership with Faf du Plessis is one of the main reasons why the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won their fourth Indian Premier League (IPL) title, said head coach Stephen Fleming after the final on Friday at the Dubai International Stadium.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Gaikwad scored 635 runs at a strike rate of 136.36
- He four half centuries and a century this season
- He finished two runs ahead of his opening partner Faf du Plessis on the Orange Cap table
Gaikwad, 24, became the youngest player to win the orange cap, finishing the season with 635 runs. Du Plessis finish two runs behind Gaikwad after being eliminates with 86 of 59 balls in Friday’s final against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
“He is an absolute superstar already in my eyes,” said Fleming in the post-match press conference.
Gaikwad was unable to play a major role last season, in which CSK failed to make it past the league phase for the first time in tournament history after a positive Covid19 test. However, in the six games, he was able to play, Gaikwad managed 204 runs.
“Last year when we introduced him people were sort of critical but we had such high expectations from him. What we weren’t sure of was the effect Covid would have and we really felt for him last year. Delighted with the way he ended last season,” said Fleming.
“He is a wonderful kid, an absolute superstar. The way he masters opening the batting and him and Faf scoring that many reasons, it’s one of the reasons we won the IPL. I couldn’t be happier for him. He shows maturity beyond his years,” he said.
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