“You truly deserved it” – Ruturaj Gaikwad lauds CSK teammate Tushar Deshpande on his India debut against Zimbabwe

Ruturaj Gaikwad has lauded his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) teammate Tushar Deshpande following the latter’s India debut against Zimbabwe in the fourth T20I at Harare Sports Club on Saturday, July 13. Gaikwad, who captains CSK, credited Deshpande for his hard work.

Gaikwad wrote on his Instagram story:

“You truly deserved it! Your hard work and ethics has always been a treat to watch! More than that you’ve always been a great human being outside cricket…!! Wish you more and more happiness.”

For the unversed, Deshpande earned his India call following his exploits with the ball for the Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The speedster has bagged 42 wickets in 36 games at an economy rate of 9.65.

The 29-year-old picked up 17 wickets in 13 games in IPL 2024. The Mumbai-born player had scalped 23 wickets in 2023 when CSK were crowned champions for the fifth time in league history.

Notably, Deshpande dismissed Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza to make his India debut a memorable one.

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“This is just the beginning” – Tushar Deshpande on his India debut

Tushar Deshpande got emotional after he received his maiden cap from former Mumbai captain Ameya Tilak, one of the support staff under VVS Laxman for the Zimbabwe tour. The pacer expressed his pride in fulfilling his family’s dream. He was glad to be with his wife Nabha Gaddamwar on the special occasion.

In a video shared by BCCI on X, Deshpande said:

“Very excited but speechless and very proud also. All feeling coming together and very happy for my father sitting back in Mumbai. It was our dream, our family’s dream that I should play for the country.

"And this is just the beginning of myself with the support of the family and my wife present here. It’s a proud moment for me,” he added.

Tushar Deshpande will next be in action in the fifth or final T20I – a dead rubber- against Zimbabwe on Sunday, July 14.