Chennai all-rounder Daryl Mitchell has lauded captain Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of their match against Delhi on Sunday, 30 March. Speaking via the CSK website, Mitchell has backed Gaikwad to play a lot more matches for India in the future.
Chennai have had a great start to their Indian Premier League 2024 under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. They have won the first two matches of the tournament against Bengaluru and Gujarat.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has looked in control in both matches, which has led CSK to dominate in both games. Mitchell has lauded the young captain and stressed that Gaikwad will have an amazing future at the franchise. Gaikwad has himself started the tournament well hitting a quickfire 46 runs against Gujarat in the second match in Chennai.
“I have watched him from afar for a number of years now. And I have been seriously impressed, first of all how good a batsman he is. I think he is world class, and I am sure he will play a lot more for India in the future. And as a captain, it has been really cool to see how calm and collected he is. And yeah, I am sure he is going to have an amazing future with CSK as captain,” Daryl Mitchell said in a CSK press release.
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Daryl Mitchell spoke about the home advantage and said that the top-order batters had been doing the heavy lifting in Chennai due to the nature of the pitch.
“We know here at our home ground that it can be slow at times and I think we even saw in that second game there that the wicket got slower, as the ball got older as well. So it was cool to see the boys at the top make the most of that new ball and set the platform,” Mitchell said.
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Mitchell has been used as a middle-order batter by Chennai, a role that he does not play for New Zealand in the international format. Mitchell however said that it is the competitiveness that drives him and is happy to deliver in a new role for the franchise.
“That is what drives me. So, whatever role I have got to play for the team to help us try and win games of cricket, I will do that. Whether it is opening, batting at number three, four, five or six,. It is just being present out in the middle and keeping communicating with the guy down the other end. And working out how we are going to go about doing the job,” concluded the batter.
