Team India youngster Ruturaj Gaikwad has been going through a formidable form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. While his side Maharashtra has been out of the tournament, his performance made headlines. However, Maharashtra have won four out of five group league games and finished third in the Elite Group D points table but they saw the exit door owing to a poor run rate.
And, Ruturaj Gaikwad said that it was ‘harsh’ from the team’s perspective to not qualify for the next stage. While speaking to TOI, he said: “I think it (not qualifying) was harsh on us. We won four out of five games. In some other groups, teams who have lost two games out of five (Himachal, Vidarbha, TN, Karnataka) have also made it to the next stage.”
Ruturaj also claimed that they did have the net run rate in their mind but their opponents played really well. While Kerala and Madhya Pradesh finished the group stage with the same points as Maharashtra (15), they qualified due to a good net run rate.
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“These things happen in cricket. The Kerala seventh-wicket pair batted too well. We have to give credit to the opposition too. We tried our best to break the partnership. We were aware about the possibility of net run rate coming into the equation. Hence we chose to field first against Uttarakhand. But sadly, it was difficult to score runs quickly on that pitch. The wicket changed its behaviour a bit in the second half too. Sometimes you need a little bit of luck too which proved elusive for us,” Ruturaj Gaikwad the youngster shared.
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However, he amassed 603 runs in five innings, including four centuries as well and he has shared the secret of his consistency as well. He is hoping to get a chance in the upcoming series against South Africa as well.
“No secret. I’m just focusing on my process and not thinking much, just trying to replicate the things again and again! It feels amazing. But it would have been nice if we as a team, we would’ve gone through. Personally, it’s a good achievement and I’m proud of myself and my team,” Ruturaj Gaikwad concluded.
