Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann has heaped praises on India’s young prodigy Ruturaj Gaikwad for his batting heroics. Swann mentioned that Michael Hussey told him years before his IPL debut for CSK that Ruturaj Gaikwad is a gun player.

Ruturaj Gaikwad made his Indian Premier League debut in 2020 for Chennai Super Kings. After a slow start, he ended the season with three back-to-back match-winning fifties. The IPL 2021 was the breakthrough year for him where he notched up 635 runs in 16 games and won the orange cap.

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Graeme Swann has praised Gaikwad saying that he has played some of the best IPL knocks.

“He has been absolutely incredible for CSK and he’s played some of the best knocks I’ve seen in the IPL. That 100 he scores in Abu Dhabi was just sensational. I’m glad that Gaikwad is in. Michael Hussey told me a couple of years ago ‘this guy is an absolute gun’. Just look out for him. This was before he had done anything magical. He is a 9 out of 10, a work in progress, but a seriously good player,” Swann said on Cricket.com.

Gaikwad was going strong in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 as well where he has scored 259 runs in five matches featuring three fifties. Now, he is given a chance to play for India in the T20I series against New Zealand at home.

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Meanwhile, Swann believes Shreyas Iyer has a point to prove after being on a topsy-turvy ride in 2021.

“Shreyas Iyer is a glorious man to watch bat. But he has had his ups and downs. He has had some incredible performances and then some weaker ones. He is an 8 for me but could well easily be a 10. He can get there one day. I love the fact that Gaikwad and Iyer can be in the top 4,” Swann added.

India will play New Zealand in the first T20I on Wednesday in Jaipur.