Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Childhood Coach Reacts to His CSK Captaincy
A Childhood Dream Fulfilled
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s appointment as captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has sent ripples of joy through the cricketing world, especially for those who’ve witnessed his journey from a young boy with a bat to a seasoned professional. One such person is Mohan Jadhav, Gaikwad’s childhood coach.
Jadhav, who spoke on the ‘House of Glory’ podcast by the Gagan Narang Sports Foundation, shared his heartfelt reaction to seeing his former student lead CSK. While he always believed Gaikwad had the potential to captain a team one day, he admitted that he didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
Early Signs of Leadership
“I was definitely expecting it, but not this early because there were equally talented people already in line. But as and when CSK announced this decision, it set me on cloud nine. We felt like we are finally achieving our aims,” Jadhav said.
He recalled giving Gaikwad his first taste of captaincy during his last year as his coach. Jadhav was impressed by the young cricketer’s maturity and leadership qualities even back then. He believes Gaikwad’s natural leadership abilities were always evident and that CSK made an excellent choice.
A Star in the Making
“During his last year as his coach, I gave him the captaincy for the first time. His attitude at that time was astoundingly mature. Reflecting on that, when I see him today as CSK’s captain, it really does not astonish me. He was meant for it. And I’m sure CSK was on the lookout for someone like him only,” Jadhav added.
