"We will bounce back this season" - Ruturaj Gaikwad on CSK's IPL 2023 campaign

In-form opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad believes the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be back to their best in the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The four-time champions had a disappointing campaign last time around and could only put up a ninth-place finish. CSK's 2022 season was marred by injuries, poor form and captaincy switches.

MS Dhoni was back at the helm midway through the season after the captaincy duties were initially handed over to Ravindra Jadeja ahead of the season. However, he couldn't rescue the sinking ship as the 2021 champions failed to make it into the playoffs.

The franchise is now on the lookout to make some tweaks to their squad at the upcoming mini-auction, having released eight players.

Noting that CSK will stage training camps once they have their final squad after the auction, Ruturaj Gaiwkad said at an event organized by Social, an urban hangout in Chennai:

"The Chennai Super Kings team is preparing for the 2023 IPL season. There would possibly be training camps after the player auction is held. In the 2022 season, the team was hit following injuries to key players. A T20 match is decided based on the performances of the players on the day.

"We will bounce back this season."

Senior players Dwayne Bravo and Robin Uthappa have both notably called time on their respective IPL careers. As a result, the Men in Yellow need options to fill the void as well as strengthen their bench as well.

The franchise is expected to play at the iconic Chepauk Stadium in Chennai after four long years. While the venue did host a few matches in the 2021 season, CSK had to play their matches across Mumbai and Delhi due to COVID-19.

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"I want to play and do well in 50-overs format and Tests too" - Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad is currently in a purple patch on the back of a memorable Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign. He led Maharashtra to the finals of the 50-over competition and in the process, recorded centuries across all knockout matches. This included a stunning double-century in the quarter-finals.

During his unbeaten 220 off 159 deliveries, he slammed 43 runs off the penultimate over bowled by Shiva Singh. By doing so, he broke the all-time record for the most runs scored in a single over.

Stating that he wants to excel across all three formats in the future, Ruturaj Gaikwad said:

"Though I have scored runs in T20 cricket, I want to play and do well in 50-overs format and Tests too. Only then will one's cricketing career be complete.

"I want to play with more focus. My aim is to score more runs in big matches. I work thinking how to play well for the team and win."

Gaikwad made his ODI debut earlier this year during the home series against South Africa. He scored 18 runs off 43 deliveries and was dropped for the subsequent matches as India secured the series 2-1.

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