Ruturaj Gaikwad not thinking about replacing Virat Kohli, says priority is his game

Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad said he is not looking to compare himself with Virat Kohli and added that filling in his shoes is tough and hard.

The batter, speaking to the media on the eve of the third T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare, said he would want to start his international career the way he wants to and play his own game.

Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma called it quits from T20Is after India’s triumph in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and it has opened doors for players like Gaikwad who were on the fringes of a national call-up.

The Maharashtra-based player, who captains Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, said his priority for now is his game. “This is a big topic and I think it’s not the right point to think about it. To even compare with him (Virat Kohli) or try to fill in his shoes is relatively very tough and very hard. As I had said in the IPL as well, it is difficult to fill my best shoes as well. Definitely, you want to start your career, you want to start the way you want, you want to play your own game. So that’s the priority right now,” he told the media in Harare.

Gaikwad said his position in the batting order does not matter to him. He has opened in T20s and has also played at No. 3 against Zimbabwe. “Wherever the team wants, I will bat there. There is no problem. There is not much difference between the opening and the number three because you have to play the new ball. So there is not much difference. It is about focusing on one game, focusing on how you can contribute towards the team in whichever position you play and make sure you are on the winning side more often than not,” he added.

Speaking about how captaincy has made him more involved in the game, the CSK skipper said, “Actually, to be honest, nothing has changed much. Because my batting has been the same as before. I have to play with responsibility, try and finish games on my own. It is just that the way you look at the game, I think every time you are more involved now in the game since you have captained the IPL franchise for a long period of time. So, you tend to be in the game for a longer period of time instead of just staying in the boundary outside and just focusing on one ball. As I said, batting wise it's not made much difference.”

India lost the first T20I and won by a whopping 100 runs in the second T20I to level the five-match series against Zimbabwe. The third T20I will be played on July 10. All matches have been scheduled at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.