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Ruturaj Gaikwad was bought by Chennai Super Kings for a paltry ₹20 lakhs at the 2019 IPL auction. He made his actual IPL debut during the 2020 season, which was also staged in the UAE amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In his debut season, Gaikwad amassed 204 runs in just 6 matches at an incredible average of 51.00 and three fifties. This budding association gave rise to what became a successful association between the Tamil Nadu-born batsman and the franchise based in the region.
Gaikwad has only showcased just a slice of their potential in the 2020 season, but it was enough for the management in CSK to identify him as a long-time player and a future leader. From the very first moments of his IPL career, it was obvious he was special, his ability to perform under real pressure apparent, and his technical proficiency against both pace and spin.
IPL 2025 has the same representation for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who still plays for CSK or is the only franchisee he has played with in the Indian Premier League. Most importantly, though, he is captain of the team and has taken over the captaincy baton from the great MS Dhoni ahead of the 2024 season. Dhoni's captaincy was handed down to young batsman Gaikwad, who was expected by the franchise to carry on the winning legacy CSK enjoyed over the years.
After taking the baton from M.S. Dhoni, Gaikwad has started his second season captaining CSK in IPL 2025, having won their first match. Though he still has some distance to cover as a leader of Chennai Super Kings, the franchise's decision to hold on to him for a whopping amount ahead of the 2025 auction is a testament to their belief in him as a batsman as much as a leader.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is a one-franchise player bought by Chennai Super Kings in 2019. In such times, this degree of representation holds significance, as it showcases the trust between two entities that are both essential in the world of franchises: the player and the franchise; a rare instance in an era of mega auctions and hopping teams.
The retention of Ruturaj Gaikwad by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for ₹18 crore is a testament to his emerging importance in IPL 2025. His retention in the last retention cycle for ₹6 crore and then a massive jump in amount ₹12 crore exhibits his position in the team as a primary batsman and the captain of the team. His value has tripled, a testament to his on-the-field contributions and leadership ability, and he is one of the shining stars of the league.
His rise in IPL earnings reflects his rise in importance in the tournament. Initially purchased for a paltry ₹20 lakhs in 2019, Gaikwad has risen through the ranks to become a vital cog, earning a reputation as a utility player. He is not just a CSK player but an IPL marquee player. His ₹18 crore retention prospects for future successes reflect the trust and belief the franchise has in him to continue achieving for years to come.
With such a sizeable increase to Gaikwad's retention cost ahead of IPL 2025, it is clear to see that CSK not only see value in his potential on the pitch, but as a face for their franchise going forward. This massive investment is also a demonstration of the faith that has been thrust upon Gaikwad to perform as a batsman and as a leader as well.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has established himself as one of the best players in IPL history. Over six seasons, he has been consistent by scoring 19 half-centuries and 2 hundreds. He has been doing consistently well and become one of the most reliable options in the tournament as an opening batsman.
Ruturaj Gaikwad lived his best IPL season in 2021 where he scored 635 runs and won the Orange Cap as the tournament's leading run-scorer. This outstanding break-through performance made him not only a premier batsman in the league but a steam engine of Chennai Super Kings’ batting line-up. The consistency and the capability of delivering when it counted proved to be of prime importance in his development into one of the most dependable players in IPL.
His best efforts in the IPL were an unassailable 108*, accomplished while playing for the Chennai outfit as a fielder in the 2024 season against the Lucknow Super Giants. He is brilliantly showing how to maintain the run-rate at vital times, without losing his free-flowing style. One of the highlights of the season was his century, from just 60 balls, a blend of brute hitting and classical strokes.
And his vulnerability in recent IPL outings as a batsman underpins his maturity. Across his last 10 innings leading up to the 2025 season, he has shown tremendous consistency, proving to be a valuable cog in his side’s wheel and a cricketer who is only getting better with each season.
Ruturaj Gaikwad will be one of IPL’s best players by April 2025, after scoring two centuries. His first hundred came in the 2021 season and his sensational form got him the Orange Cap. He was easily one of the stars of the tournament, playing consistently, with class and staking a claim of being one of the most reliable top-order batsmen.
His second century, an exacting 108 not out against Lucknow Super Giants in 2024, only further illustrated his knack for holding up an innings while still exhibiting flair. Apart from these centuries, Gaikwad has several IPL records and achievements to his name that boast his impact in the league. From his reliability as a batsman to his strategic leadership as Chennai Super Kings’ captain, his contributions reflect not only his technical prowess but also his importance to the franchise’s success.
(From Ruturaj Gaikwad’s IPL journey one can gauge the value of talent, hard work and grit to overcome challenges year after year.)
The player played a huge role in the success of the franchise in the IPL 2021 and the details stats of his performance can mention that when he ended up as the highest run scorer of the edition with 635 runs at an average of 45.35 with a strike rate of 136.26.
One of the main players in CSK's title-winning campaigns in 2021 and 2023.
Gaikwad has captained CSK 15 times in the IPL, before March 2025, winning 8 and losing 7.
With an average of over 40 in IPL, he ranks as one of the most consistent batsmen in the history of the tournament.
Gaikwad led the Indian team to a gold medal in the 2022 Asian Games, further solidifying his credentials of captaincy on the international stage apart from IPL.
Gaikwad, throughout his IPL career, has shown excellent temperament, technical prowess, and an ability to play the role of an anchor, while keeping the required strike rate intact. It is his journey as a cricketer with the faith shown in him by one of the biggest franchises of IPL from a budding young talent to the captain of CSK.
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