The innings against KKR will build a huge amount of belief and confidence for Ruturaj Gaikwad: Eoin Morgan

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad played a mature knock of 67* runs off 58 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to help his team win their third match of the IPL 2024 season. After losing Rachin Ravindra early, Ruturaj built partnerships with Daryl Mitchell and Shivam Dube to bring CSK close to the target and finally, finished the game alongside MS Dhoni, as the hosts won the game by seven wickets.

Former England skipper Eoin Morgan believes that Ruturaj’s brilliant innings against KKR will give him a huge amount of belief and confidence for the rest of the season. Despite having the upper hand for the majority part of the game, the opener didn’t change his batting style and ultimately finished the game for his side, which according to Morgan will give the Maharashtra-born a lot of reassurance in his decision-making and will help him grow as a leader.

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“This innings will build a huge amount of belief and confidence for him in his game. Playing an innings like this, early in the tournament, will give him a lot of reassurance on his decision-making and pass on a message to the team,” Morgan said in a media release to JioCinema, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

“He is a classy player, we have seen that for a long time now, and it is great to see him in such touch. He had a great game, right from the toss to captaincy decisions, getting the spinners on after the powerplay, he was exceptional today,” the former KKR skipper added.

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Meanwhile, with the win, the defending champions remain fourth on the points table. They have been unbeaten at MA Chidambaram Stadium this year but haven’t found success away from home. Next up, Chennai will be playing against their biggest rival, Mumbai Indians, on April 14 at Wankhede Stadium. The Hardik Pandya-led side hasn’t been able to deliver well so far in the league, with only a single win in four contests so far.