Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the opening match of the IPL 2022 on March 26, all eyes will be on some of the home-grown players who have impressed everyone with their performances and maturity. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes Ravindra Jadeja and Ruturaj Gaikwad will be key players for CSK in the 15th edition of the tournament, which will be held at four venues in Maharashtra: Wankhede, Barbourne, DY Patil, and MCA Stadium in Pune.
Speaking about the leading run-scorer in the last edition, Sunil Gavaskar during a 'Gameplan' episode aired on Star Sports said: "Ruturaj Gaikwad is another player who has very little areas to improve. There is nothing really required as far as Gaikwad's improvement is concerned. He has got all the shots in the book, but the most impressive aspect is his shot selection. Whatever shot he plays, he doesn't get cowed down."
"He is not afraid to play the lofted shot when required and his shot selection has been very good in the IPL. So, there is very little that Ruturaj Gaikwad needs to do. All he needs to do is keep on scoring runs similar to last season," Gavaskar added.
"For Team India, he was in the team playing a completely different role as a batting all-rounder and playing the role of a finisher which, in my opinion, is a very tough thing to do. But for KKR this season, I see him playing the role of an explosive opener," said Chopra.
"If you look at the second half of the last IPL, no one really expected him to do what he did. The grounds in Maharashtra are very conducive for stroke-making and he will look to provide KKR the kind of start they must be expecting him to give," he added.