Dhoni all praise for 'most talented' ruturaj

'JADEJA IS THE ONLY BATSMAN IN OUR TEAM WHO HAS TAKEN THE JOB OF SCORING IN THE LAST FEW OVERS.' IMAGE: Chennai Super Kings opener Ruturaj Gaikwad hit two sixes and six fours in

his 53-ball 74 during the IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai on Thursday. Photograph: BCCI/IPL Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni heaped rich praise on Ruturaj

Gaikwad, saying the young opener is "one of the most talented players going around". Gaekwad scored his second straight half-century to set up a six-wicket victory over Kolkata

Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League match in Dubai on Thursday. "(_The changes_) are a conscious effort. We want to give games to people who haven't played and we need them

to grab those opportunities. Ruturaj, we'd seen him in the nets, but then he got Covid positive and took 20 days. Unfortunate, but he'll remember this season," said Dhoni, at

the post-match presentation. "He's one of the most talented players going around. What makes it difficult is he's not somebody who speaks a lot! So sometimes it becomes

difficult for the management to gauge a player." Gaekwad, who had tested COVID-19 positive in the lead up to the tournament, has all the shots and his style of play is pleasing to the

eye. Things did not look bright for him after he failed in his first three innings (0, 5, 0). "Once he started going in the innings, you could see that he was hitting the ball the way

he wants to and he was planning. When we made him play the first game, he got out, stepped out. "It becomes difficult to tell whether it was the pressure that made him step out or

whether that's his natural game. One ball isn't enough," Dhoni said. IMAGE: Ravindra Jadeja hits a six off the last delivery to win the match for Chennai Super Kings.

Photograph: BCCI/IPL He also praised Ravindra Jadeja for his match-winning cameo, which included two sixes in the final over the game. "This season Jadeja has been fantastic. He's

been the only batsman in our team who has taken the job of scoring in the last few overs. Not just using his power but through point if the field is up. "I feel throughout the season we

needed someone by his side," Dhoni added. He said this was one game where the plans went in their favour and hailed the effort of the players. "I think it was one game where the

plans went in our favour. Needed a lot of effort from the players. Really glad the coin fell in our favour," he added. Asked how important it was to end on a high, Dhoni added: "We

haven't performed in the tournament, but we felt it's important to be relevant in the tournament. "That's what we kept requesting the guys. We said you prepare how you

want to, but 3-3.5 hours give your best. We are not in the position to qualify for the next stage but we have had a glimpse of people who can play for us in the coming seasons." Kolkata

Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan said they were probably on the wrong side of the toss. "We probably played a bit well there. Probably on the wrong side of the toss. Our bowlers gave

it everything, but the skills were a bit off. We'll have to move on quickly. "I think the score (172/5) was enough. We felt we were right in the game. Probably 165 was par if the

wicket and conditions stayed the same. I actually think we had a good batting day. “One world class spinner (Narine), and the other on the cusp of playing for India (Varun Chakravarthy).

They're fantastic spinners. I can't fault any bowlers. "(Kamlesh) Nagarkoti probably didn't have enough runs to defend (_in the final over_), would have liked 16-17.

He's a young guy, he'll take it on the chin and move on."