CSK playing XI from Ruturaj Gaikwad's IPL debut in 2020 - where are they now?

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Ruturaj Gaikwad turns 27 today. The opening batter started his Indian Premier League journey in 2019 after being bought by CSK for ₹20 lakh in the auction. He was subsequently retained by the Chennai-based franchise ahead of IPL 2022 for ₹6 crore.

Ruturaj Gaikwad made his debut for the Yellow Army against the Rajasthan Royals in 2020. He failed to show any spark in the first three innings, scoring just five runs. However, the right-handed batter ended the season on a positive note, smashing three back-to-back half centuries.

His breakthrough IPL campaign came just a year later, scoring 635 runs in 16 games at an average of 45.35 and a strike rate of 136.26. The Maharashtra batter has gone on to become one of CSK's most important players, winning the IPL twice, in 2021 and 2023.

Gaikwad had a relatively poor IPL 2022 but came back with a bang in 2023, which was a catalyst to CSK's fifth title. Overall, he has scored 1797 runs for the five-time IPL champions in 52 games at an average of 39.07 and a strike rate of 135.52.

In this article, we look at the playing XI of the Chennai Super Kings from Ruturaj Gaikwad's IPL debut in 2020.

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Openers: Murali Vijay and Shane Watson

Murali Vijay and Shane Watson opened the innings for CSK in Ruturaj Gaikwad's debut IPL game on September 22, 2020. Chasing a target of 217, Vijay made a run-a-ball 21, while Watson scored 33 off 21.

Vijay mainly played Test cricket for India and is sometimes remembered for his exploits for CSK in the earlier IPL editions (2010–2012). IPL 2020 was his last season, and he retired from all forms of cricket in January 2023.

Watson also hung up his boots after the IPL 2020 campaign, retiring from all forms of cricket. The 42-year-old is working as a commentator and is the founder of two businesses, BEON Performance and T20 Stars. He's also the president of the Australian Cricketers' Association.

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Middle-order batters: Faf du Plessis, Sam Curran and Ruturaj Gaikwad

Faf du Plessis, Sam Curran and Ruturaj Gaikwad batted at Nos 3, 4 and 6, respectively, against RR in Sharjah.

Du Plessis scored a magnificent 72 off just 37. Curran played a six-ball, 17-run cameo and also scalped three wickets in the first innings. Gaikwad was dismissed for a golden duck on his debut by Rahul Tewatia.

Du Plessis was part of four IPL-winning teams during his time with CSK. However, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2022 mega auction for ₹7 crore and has since been the captain of the side. He also plays in other franchise leagues but has been retired from international cricket since 2021.

Sam Curran was bought by the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2023 mini auction for a whopping ₹18.5 crore after his impressive performance at the 2022 T20 World Cup.

The 25-year-old all-rounder has become one of their main players and has also captained the side in Shikhar Dhawan's absence.

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Lower-middle order batters: Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (C) (WK) and Ravindra Jadeja

Kedar Jadhav walked in to bat after the fall of Ruturaj Gaikwad's wicket at 77-4 and scored 22 off 16.

Despite MS Dhoni remaining unbeaten on 29, CSK failed to win Ruturaj Gaikwad's debut game by 16 runs. Ravindra Jadeja scored 1* off two and went wicketless in the first innings, conceding 40 runs in four overs.

Jadhav's stocks have plummeted since Ruturaj Gaikwad's debut game. He played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2021 and RCB in 2023 but failed to make an impact in the limited opportunities. The 38-year-old went unsold in the IPL 2024 auction but continues performing for Maharashtra.

Dhoni's last game for India was the loss against New Zealand in the semifinals of the 2019 ODI World Cup. He continues to play the IPL and has lifted two titles for CSK in the last three editions. The former India captain has ventured into multiple businesses, including sports teams like Chennaiyin FC and the Ranchi Rays.

Jadeja, meanwhile, is still playing for CSK and is their most important player alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad. The 35-year-old is one of the best all-rounders in international cricket and still has a few good years at the highest level ahead of him.

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Bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi and Piyush Chawla

Deepak Chahar was the most economical bowler for CSK on Ruturaj Gaikwad's debut, finishing with 1-31 in his full quota of overs.

Both Lungi Ngidi and Piyush Chawla were taken to the cleaners by Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson. They conceded 56 and 55 runs, respectively, and picked up a wicket apiece.

Chahar has been the leader of CSK's attack since being bought in the IPL 2018 mega auction for ₹80 lakh. His international career has suffered due to injury issues. The swing bowler missed the entire IPL 2022 campaign due to a back injury, which led to CSK finishing second-bottom.

Ngidi was part of CSK till 2021, after which he was snapped up by the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2022 mega auction for his base price of ₹50 lakh. Ngidi is a regular for South Africa, but the 27-year-old's career hasn't quite taken off as expected.

Meanwhile, Chawla's IPL career seemed to be over when he was on commentary duty during IPL 2022. However, he wanted to return to playing in the IPL for his son and made a great comeback.

The 35-year-old leg-spinner was bought by the Mumbai Indians for just ₹50 lakhs in the IPL 2023 auctions. However, he picked up 22 wickets in 16 games, making it his best individual season in IPL history.