'I Am Ahead Of The Trend:' Ruturaj Gaikwad Why He is Master of 'Thala For a Reason' Meme

Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni’s strong chemistry was on full display in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ahead of the IPL 2024 season, Dhoni decided to hand over the leadership duties of the Chennai-based franchise to Gaikwad. Dhoni and Gaikwad were often seen involved in discussions during IPL matches and their camaraderie was cherished by CSK fans. Gaikwad is currently busy with the Indian cricket team playing against Zimbabwe in the T20I series and ahead of the penultimate fixture, the 27-year-old shed light on his unique connection with the World Cup-winning India skipper.

Following India’s win against Zimbabwe in the third match, Ruturaj Gaikwad uploaded a picture of his T20I cap. Gaikwad placed the cap in such a manner it displayed the number 88 written on it. The number written on the cap indicated that Gaikwad was the 88th Indian player to feature in T20I cricket. While a cricketer can choose his jersey number, he cannot do the same with his cap as it gets determined chronologically.

Ruturaj Gaikwad found a special MS Dhoni connection, which is also known as “Thala for a reason,” by referring to number 7. He mentioned, “8=8=16. 1+6= Yellove,” in the picture. The jersey number 7 holds a special place in Indian cricket history as it was donned by MS Dhoni. “I am ahead of the trend,” Gaikwad wrote in the caption.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unique gesture comes just three days after MS Dhoni celebrated his 43rd birthday. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan organised a birthday bash for the former Indian cricketer. In a now-viral video, Dhoni can be seen celebrating the occasion with his wife Sakshi Dhoni and Salman at the Bollywood star’s Bandra home, Galaxy Apartment. Sending his best wishes to the ex-India skipper, Salman wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Happy Birthday Kaptaan Sahab! MS Dhoni.”

READ MORE: Salman Khan Rings In MS Dhoni’s Birthday at Galaxy Apartment, Gives Him a Sweet Nickname; Watch Video

As for Ruturaj Gaikwad, the India batter played a commendable knock of 49 off 28 balls against Zimbabwe in the third T20I played in Harare yesterday. While Gaikwad missed out on his half-century by one run, skipper Shubman Gill produced a vital innings of 66 to guide India to a total of 182. The visitors, eventually, succeeded in defending the total as they got the better of Zimbabwe by 23 runs.