For someone aspiring to make it to the biggest stage, it’s never really easy to outscore batting stalwarts and occupy the top run-getter’s spot in the Indian Premier League, which is arguably the toughest T20 competition.

When a youngster like Ruturaj Gaikwad is able to achieve such a feat, the way forward becomes tougher. One issue that gets raised is how he should keep himself motivated till the start of the next IPL.

The 24-year-old, however, has shown the right path for a young batsman like him to remain motivated: scoring as many runs as possible whenever there’s a chance to play. And Gaikwad ensured he scored them in bulk.

Following the IPL, he captained Maharashtra, aggregating 259 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy with a 50-plus average and a strike rate close to 150, and then, hammered 603 runs to finish as the top run-getter in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With four hundreds in five matches, Gaikwad averaged a staggering 150.75 with an equally impressive strike rate of 112.92 in the national one-dayers.

With such outstanding numbers after a highly successful IPL, it was only fair to include him in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series in South Africa, beginning January 19.

“What else could Ruturaj have done to get the call-up? He got runs in the IPL and then again in domestic cricket, being the captain of his team. You just can’t keep aside someone who has been performing continuously,” Maharashtra head coach Santosh Jedhe told The Telegraph on Saturday.

Focused, instinctive

Having played two T20Is so far, during the Shikhar Dhawan-led India limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka last July, it could still be difficult for Gaikwad to make the final XI in South Africa. But staying focused should never be an issue for him, Jedhe emphasised.

“At present, he’s a far more determined player and he’s someone who’ll never lose focus. He still is one of the first to be on the team bus for practice or before a game, while unlike others, he doesn’t have this habit of frequently changing cricketing gears.

“In fact, only once he changed his bat during this Vijay Hazare Trophy. That too, because it had broken. His focus is on his batting and the game, nothing else,” Jedhe said.

What also seems to have turned it around for Gaikwad is having more faith in his instincts, believes former national selector and Maharashtra coach Surendra Bhave. “Even during his early days, I believed Ruturaj was a 360-degree player with the bat.

“At present, along with being more consistent and disciplined, he’s a lot more instinctive as well, which has made him a 360-degree player.

“Previously, he could unleash strokes from over long-off to deep mid-wicket. But now, he can play over extra-cover too with authority,” Bhave, currently head coach of Punjab, explained.

Shots matter

For Gaikwad, what matters is playing the “right shots with the right intent” when he’s out in the middle with the bat. “Things like nature of the wicket or other related stuff are not an issue as far as I’m concerned. There are times when things work in your favour while on certain occasions, they don’t. What matter for me are right shots and the right intent,” Gaikwad said recently.

In CSK colours, opening alongside former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis too has been immensely beneficial for Gaikwad. “Faf’s experience and the calmness with which he handles situations helped a lot,” he said.