• Source:JND
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JE Sports Desk:  Ruturaj Gaikwad will be leading the Indian team in the upcoming 19th edition of the Asian Games, scheduled to take place in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.

The 26-year-old has reacted on being given the proud opportunity of leading the national team in the enormous tournament.

"I'm really thankful for this opportunity given by the BCCI, the management, and the selectors. Playing for India itself is really a proud feeling and leading the side in such a big event, I think it will be a great opportunity for me personally and also for all the other team members who are alongside me. So really looking forwards and really happy and obviously feeling very proud," Gaikwad said in a video posted by BCCI.

 

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"I think it will be fun to be honest because we all are youngsters and have been gelling around very well with each other for the last one or two years. Playing in IPL against each other and playing India A games, then some India games as well, so I think it's a really fun group to be part of and I'm very excited for everyone who is part of the squad. Representing the country in the Asian Games and obviously winning the medal for the country is something we always grew up watching on television, watching athletes win it for the nation and to get the opportunity to go out there and win the medal would be really special," the right-handed batter added.

"As Indian fans already have been supporting throughout whatever the country plays, any series or any World Cup but I think this is something special. We will definitely play a good brand of cricket that everyone back home will be proud of and it will also be exciting to watch. The dream obviously would be to win the gold medal and stand on the podium and sing the national anthem of the country," he concluded.

Ruturaj is currently in West Indies with the Indian team after he received his maiden call-up for the Test side along with Yashasvi Jaiswal. He got the opportunity on the back of his domestic brilliance and recent IPL performance that helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) clinched the title for the fifth time.

 

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India's squad for Asian Games:  Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wicket-keeper)

Standby players:  Yash Thakur, Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Sai Sudarsan