'Once I got my eye in he was confident that I'd be able to make an impact.'
Chennai Super Kings batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad said captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's comforting words after he didn't start off well, helped him perform in the last few games with a free mind.
Gaikwad fell early in his first three games before scoring 65 not out against Royal Challengers Bangalore, 72 against Kolkata Knight Riders and 62 not out against Kings XI Punjab.
He said skipper Dhoni's words after the third game freed him up.
"Dhoni told me to enjoy my cricket and not think about the result… just enjoy the atmosphere, be calm, and once I got my eye in he was confident that I'd be able to make an impact," the Maharashtra batsman was quoted as saying by the CSK website.
"I think it was a good reminder for me, because all I was looking for was the result and not thinking about the process. So it helped me a lot coming from him," he added.
"No pressure at all," Gaikwad said, looking ahead to the new IPL season, starting on April 9.
In CSK and Dhoni's world, "process" is a key word.
"That's because of the environment I am in where the focus is on the process and not the result. I just want to enjoy the process and make sure I contribute in every opportunity I get for CSK," he added.
The 24-year-old underlined his talent last IPL season by scoring three successive fifties as three-time champions CSK failed to make it to the play-offs for the first time.
Gaikwad got to spend more time with Dhoni during this season's pre-season camp in Chennai and said he got to learn important lessons from the former India captain.
"One of the important lessons I learnt from Dhoni is that there will be good and bad days in cricket, as in life, but what really matters is how honest you are to yourself, stay neutral in both situations and accept the fact that everyday won't be your day. But whenever it's your day it's important to try and make it count," he said.
CSK will start their IPL campaign against Delhi Capitals in Mumbai on April 10.
