 "Win gold, stand on podium, sing national anthem: Ruturaj's ultimate dream")
Ruturaj Gaikwad was appointed as the captain of the Indian team for the Asian Games. His ultimate goal is to win the gold with the young team he has got at his disposal and be on the podium to sing the national anthem. This is the first time that an Indian team will be participating in the cricket event at the continental games. Cricket was introduced to the games in 2010 during the Gunzhou edition in China.
In a video released by the BCCI, Gaikwad thanked the board and the management for showing faith in him. “Playing for India in itself is a proud feeling, but leading the side would be a great opportunity for me personally and also for the team,” he said.
Gaikwad, who has played nine T20Is and one ODI for the national team, is a household name thanks to his IPL herpes for the reigning champions Chennai Super Kings. He is currently in the West Indies with the Indian squad which is scheduled to play two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is in the Caribbean.
In the video, Gaikwad, 26, said that winning the gold at the Asian Games was his and his team’s primary target. “The dream would be to win the gold medal, stand on the podium and sing the national anthem for the country.”
India’s Squad for the Asian Games
Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wk)