Ruturaj Gaikwad talks about opening the batting with Devon Conway and Faf du Plessis

When discussing his partnerships with Devon Conway and Faf du Plessis, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Ruturaj Gaikwad noted that Conway has excellent batsmanship especially when it comes to identifying gaps as well as rotating strikes. Ruturaj has had a terrific time playing at the top of the lineup for CSK, and he has had two excellent teammates to work with. The Indian batter and du Plessis developed a strong bond, which was one of the factors in CSK's victory in the IPL 2021.

Following the IPL 2022 auction, the South African transferred to the RCB, and Ruturaj has since opened the game alongside Conway. The pair rapidly grew close and, while serving as openers, have already produced nine partnerships with 50 or more points. 

According to Cricinfo, Ruturaj discussed the Chennai track after the victory over GT and noted that it had changed in recent games and that he had to adjust his batting style. He said, “The last 3-4 games in Chennai have been different. They've gotten slightly slower, slightly sticky. So I had to adapt my batsmanship. This was one of my days where I was going well."

Ruturaj continued by discussing his collaborations with Du Plessis as well as Conway and lauding them as outstanding international athletes. The Indian batter claimed that Conway exhibits excellent batsmanship by identifying gaps and then rotating the strike, but Du Plessis is assertive from the first ball. He said, "Both are obviously great international players. That helps me personally. Faf is someone who is aggressive from ball one while Devon has great batsmanship with gaps and rotating strike. He has been a great support especially in tough conditions."

Ruturaj Gaikwad played a brilliant knock of 60 runs off just 44 balls and that might have been the difference between the sides. His innings along with a great partnership with Devon Conway meant that the Chennai Super Kings had a great base to post a challenging total for the Gujarat Titans. In the end, Chennai Super Kings triumphed and reached the final of the IPL 2023 with a 15-run win over Gujarat Titans.