April 9 (Punjab Khabarnama) : Former England captain Michael Vaughan feels that it must be hard for Ruturaj Gaikwad to captain Chennai Super Kings with a god-like figure Mahendra Singh Dhoni still present in the dressing room. Gaikwad’s tenure as CSK captain started with a couple of wins but he hit a roadblock with back-to-back losses after that but the win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday put their title defence back on track.
Gaikwad took over the captaincy charge from Dhoni at the start of the season as CSK hinted at the start of the transitional phase with the change in leadership group.
Vaughan suggested that it might have been difficult for Gaikwad to lead and take full control of the five-time champions with legendary Dhoni still there in the dressing room playing for them.
“He has taken over from a God. This situation is like Sir Alex Ferguson is still in the dressing room when the new manager comes in. MS Dhoni is still there. It must be so hard. It is difficult to captain MS but I think it is MS who took that decision to step aside,” Vaughan told Cribuzz.
After handing over captaincy to Gaikwad, the legendary wicketkeeper was seen helping the youngster in placing the fields and other things during the matches this season.
The Indian opener regained some form with his unbeaten 67-run knock on Monday vs KKR to help his team register a crucial win. But his strike rate this season – 117.42, has been a bit of an issue for Chennai.
Meanwhile, the former English skipper advised Gaikwad to score big runs to put his side in a better position and take control in the middle.
“I am yet to see Ruturaj look completely in control in the middle. The only advice I would give him is to focus on getting as many runs as you possibly can. If he can do that, I think his team will be in a better position and that’s the only way he can get that feel-good factor if the team wins,” Vaughan explained.
The five-time champions will next face rivals Mumbai Indians on April 14 at Wankhede Stadium, which is going to be a big test for Gaikwad’s captaincy.