Ruturaj Gaikwad came to Pune academy when he was ten, I took him to England six years later, reminisces Dilip Vengsarkar
Former Chairman of selector Dilip Vengsarkar recalled his earlier days with Ruturaj Gaikwad, who came into Vengsarkar’s academy at the age of ten. Vengsarkar added that Gaikwad had excellent skills at that time and he took Gaikwad to England at the age of 16 to play for Lancashire like every year.
The Indian Premier League has unearthed a lot of talented players over the years. This year was no different as Ruturaj Gaikwad was one of the players who emerged during the tournament. He also won the orange cap with 635 runs for Chennai Super Kings. The former India cricketer recalled his early memories of Gaikwad.
"He came to our Pune academy when he was 10. We choose players for our academy (based on ability), we just don’t get everybody. So, he was one of those young players we chose because he had excellent skills,” Vengsarkar told Khaleej Times.
"I also took him to England when he was around 16. I take my academy team to England every year to Lancashire. We play 10 matches every year. He scored hundreds in most of the games, and he scored big hundreds, the 160s, 170s."
Vengsarkar added that he instructed the 24-year-old that he needs to bat for 20 overs for his team.
"He was scoring the half centuries, so I sent a message to him and asked him to play 20 overs. I said, 'you would score a hundred and the team would score 200 if you play 20 overs. And that's what he did against Rajasthan Royals. He played 20 overs and scored a brilliant hundred. Chennai lost the match because Rajasthan played very well that day," Vengsarkar added.
"He has the game and he is mentally strong. The selectors must give him an opportunity. When you pick a guy who is in form, it helps. He is also young. If the selectors are convinced about his talent and temperament, then he should be picked straight away."
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