The 2020 Indian Premier season was the worst season Chennai Super Kings had ever seen. Naturally, skipper Dhoni was upset when Chennai’s famous batting line-up, bowling line-up turned into a disaster. Therefore, Dhoni said that the young players in the team do not have enough spark. Dhoni actually meant the youngster Rituraj Gaywad. Dhoni said such a word because the young player who came into the team that season disappointed in the initial matches
But Dhoni himself was surprised by his performance at the end of the season. With that, all those who criticized Rituraj put Dhoni in the air. He has shown that he has all the ingredients of a class batsman. Later, in the 2021 season, Chennai won, Rituraj and Faf du Plessis combination played a crucial role in their success. He made Dhoni understand that there was a spark in him by winning the orange cap of the season. The player who performed well last season also joined the Indian team.
Let’s look at another figure that proves Rituraj’s excellence. His batting figures against the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Sunil Narine, Rashid Khan and Bumrah who are believed to be the best bowlers in the world are as follows:
56 (29) Ferguson
43 (34) Sunil Narine
43(25)Rashid Khan
21(10) vs Bumrah
33(21) vs Rabada
33(13) against Umran Malik
22(9) vs. Alzari Joseph
That means he has shown good dominance against the best bowlers in the world. The player has scored his second consecutive half-century since the start of the season. However, one thing is clear, today the Indian Premier League grounds are filled with spark and excitement when the guy whom Dhoni used to say lacked spark is playing.