Dale Steyn Puts His Money On This Indian Batsman Ahead Of 4th T20I Against South Africa

Rajkot: Indian opener Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a remarkable half-century in the third T20I match against South Africa that proved to be very crucial as the home side won the game to keep the five-match series alive. It impressed former South African pacer Dale Steyn, who heaped a lot of praise on the Indian batsman.

Dale Steyn feels that the India cricketer Ruturaj Gaikwad has come a long way in his career in the last two years. The South African pacer feels that it’s not easy to come at the top of the innings, face some of the best bowlers in the world and score consistently.

During ESPN Cricinfo’s T20 Time Out show, Dale Steyn said that Ruturaj Gaikwad does not have any issues with pace or spin, and is a batter who has the ability to read the game well.

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He said, “He has looked really good in the last two years. He was Chennai Super Kings’ highest run-scorer the year before (2021), and he is a quality player.”

“When you are opening the batting in the IPL, you are generally coming up against the best bowlers in the world, whether it is (Kagiso) Rabada or Lockie Ferguson, you can throw all the names in the hat, and he is up for it,” added Dale Steyn.

Ruturaj Gaikwad had a stellar IPL 2021 as he was the highest run-getter for CSK. The team even went on to win the trophy. However, he failed to replicate the performance in the IPL 2022. His bad form also contributed greatly to the Chennai franchise finishing ninth this season.

South Africa are currently leading the series by 2-1 and the third match will be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Friday. If they lose the match, they will lose the five-match series which is really important in their preparation for the T20 World Cup.