Ruturaj Gaikwad has been in incredible touch since his induction in the already firing Indian batting lineup in T20Is. The dynamic opener played a crucial role in India's fearless and aggressive approach for securing a convincing victory against Australia in the five-match T20I series.

In 18 T20 International innings, Gaikwad has notched up a total of 490 runs at an impressive average of 37.69, with a highest score of 123 which recently came against Australia in the 3rd T20I.

Gaikwad credited his batting approach in T20Is to his association with the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni during his tenure with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Gaikwad has been a part of CSK since the 2019 IPL season.

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"I learnt a lot about this format playing for CSK. Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) is always keen on reading situations and understanding the game," Gaikwad said after the match on Jio Cinema.

According to Gaikwad, Dhoni's message to focus on the team score and the collective requirements, irrespective of the game situation, has been instrumental in shaping his mindset in T20s.

"In T20s, you always have to be ahead of the game mentally and I give a lot of importance to that. The night before, I visualised what kind of situation may occur during the game, and how the pitch may behave,” Gaikwad remarked.

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"Mahi bhai always insists that we don't rush our thoughts, because there's enough time for an opener even in a T20 match," the 26-year-old added.

Gaikwad, who played a crucial role in India's win by scoring a brisk 32 off 28 balls in the fourth T20I, reflected on the World Cup disappointment.

"I think this is something to be happy for everyone after the disappointing loss in the final of the World Cup," Gaikwad said.

"I think it was important for all of us to express ourselves and enjoy the game. I think everyone pretty much took responsibility at every stage. So, we are really happy with the result, but there's still one match to go," he added.

India’s win against Australia comes as a source of joy for the Indian cricket fans, providing solace after the heartbreak of the ODI World Cup final loss. India took an unassailable lead of 3-1 in the series with a 20 runs win in the 4th T20I in Raipur. They will now face Kangaroos in the last T20I of the series in Bengaluru on December 3.