Indian Cricket Team Updates |
- KKR’s Lankan spinner Sachithra Senanayake Interview
- Gilchrist's form not a concern: KXIP coach Lehmann
- Virat Kohli will become a world-class captain: Ab de Villiers #RCB
- Sehwag, Warner, Jayawardene will need to get runs: DD’s batting and fielding coach Trent Woodhill
- Mohit Sharma Interview: DD vs CSK
| KKR’s Lankan spinner Sachithra Senanayake Interview Posted: 19 Apr 2013 03:59 AM PDT  What is with the Emerald Island? How is it that some of the best spinners in world cricket crop up from the narrow lanes and scenic beauties of Sri Lanka? One often wonders. It is almost how Pakistan is synonymous to fast bowling. Sri Lanka have always had the reputation of producing quality spinners for over a decade and a half. It goes without saying that Muttiah Muralitharan, is an inspiration for every little kid bowling across Kandy, Colombo or Galle just like 28-year old Sachitra Sennayake. With over 300 first class wickets, Senanayake is amongst the new crop of young Lankan spinners who is creating quite a flutter with a bag full of tricks, leaving some of the best in the business looking clueless. He is now a part of the 'mystery spinners' gang and an important member in the KKR setup. In yet another exclusive from IPLT20.com, we spoke to the tall Lankan spinner who takes us through his experiences on bowling with his new spin partner, Sunil Narine, his views on his IPL captain Gautam Gambhir, and about his team owner Shah Rukh Khan who welcomed him with open arms to the KKR family. Here is an account of the interview. How confident were you coming in to play in the IPL? I have played just 65 first class matches for the Sinhalese Sports Club back home where you get one of the best wickets to bat on in Sri Lanka. I am used to bowling in batting friendly pitches and have been consistently picking up wickets there. Coming into the IPL, I was always confident that I would do well since I had an idea of how the pitches would behave here in India. Did it take you by surprise that you were bid for heavily at the auctions? (Smiles)I wasn't following the auctions that day since I was busy playing domestic cricket in Sri Lanka. My manager called me later in the day and said that I was a part of the auctions and the franchisees were bidding heavily for me. I was very surprised when KKR picked another foreign spinner because they already had Sunil Narine in the side. But I was happy that I was picked by the Knight Riders. Talking about Narine, how is it to bowl in tandem with yet another mystery spinner? Narine is someone who doesn't talk much, but believes in doing his job to near perfection. He is a good guy and he is always in the game. When we practice together, we have a chat with each other and make our set of plans before a game. It is good to bowl with Narine and share some views about our bowling. Have you both shared any advices and given any bowling tips to each other? Oh yes. But we both are different bowlers. What we can share with each other are our experiences. For example, he helps me with some tips on how to bowl to West Indian batsmen like Chris Gayle and Keiron Pollard. He tells me where to bowl and what line and lengths to avoid while bowling to them and it is the same when he has to bowl to Sri Lankan players. Now, it is almost like the opposition is haunted with the mystery in pairs when they are playing KKR! Yes, I consider myself lucky to be bowling with someone like a Sunil Narine. In the last two games we bowled as pairs and we did a fair job. I personally was not happy with my performance in the two games as I felt I leaked far too many runs. I would want to be more economical with a lot more wickets in the bag. Do you set your own fields during the match or does Gautam Gambhir have a say in it? Oh, Gambhir backs me totally and gives me the freedom to set the fields. He has a chat with me and asks me what kind of field I want and sets the field accordingly. He is a tremendous captain, he is someone who will back your abilities to the hilt. Gambhir and Jacques Kallis are amongst the finest players of spin. Do they give you advice at the nets? Jacques and Gambhir gauge my bowling in the nets. We have a positive mini battle at the nets were I set the field and both players try to beat the field and score off me. At the end of the session, we discuss our views as to what can be done better and how we can bowl according to a set plan. Gambhir has shown tremendous confidence in you, does it add pressure on you to perform? No. It does not add pressure on me. In fact it proves to be a motivator for me when someone trusts my ability to the max. At the moment I know that I have to give my 200 per cent in a game and pick wickets for KKR. How important are variations in this format of the game? Variations are very important in T20s. You cannot survive with just one stock delivery; you have to develop three or four variations to keep the batsman guessing. I am working on a new variation, but I would want to keep it in wraps at the moment (Winks). How many types of deliveries can you bowl in an over? I can bowl close to four different kinds of balls in an over. I have a regular off-spinner, an arm ball, the carrom ball and one more lethal one that can either go in or go out. You will have to play me for that. (Laughs) Let us just say it keeps the batsmen guessing. Have you spoken to Ajantha Mendis. What does he have to say about your bowling? I have got an opportunity to talk to Ajantha Mendis. He taught me how to bowl the carrom ball properly. The way we grip the ball while bowling the carrom ball is different. I cannot bowl the carrom ball like Ajantha, but I have my own way of bowling it. He is someone who has got five or six variations up his sleeve. What will be your dream wicket this IPL? I have already got my dream wicket. As a budding cricketer, watching the 2007 World Cup final, I saw how Adam Gilchrist blazed his way to a 149 against us (Sri Lanka). All our quality bowlers were smashed all over the park by him. From that moment I felt Gilchrist was a special player and always dreamt of taking his wicket someday. I got his wicket when we played against the Kings XI Punjab and was very happy that I had got a special player out. Which batsman do you admire the most? I like AB De Villiers. AB is a dangerous batsman. The thing about AB is that he is creating shots, shots that you cannot imagine from unexpected quarters. It should be a challenge to bowl to him. Would you want to bowl to him in a super over? (Laughs) I told you it will be a challenge and we will see when we have a situation like that. Who are your best friends from the KKR dressing room? All the KKR guys are good friends, they are very friendly in the dressing room and we have our share of laughs and fun. (Breaks into laughter)They call me 'Sachi' while some of them call me 'Sena' because I have a long name which some of the commentators also get wrong. I end up getting weird names at the end of the day. Has your team owner Shah Rukh Khan spoken to you? Yes. SRK just came to me and said "Welcome to the family." These are words that mean a lot because you get a feeling that you belong here. Have you set a goal for yourself in the IPL? I love playing for KKR and I just want to take as many wickets as possible for KKR. I want to make sure that whenever I get an opportunity, I pick a lot of wickets so that I am considered for the next match as well. source: iplt20.com |
| Gilchrist's form not a concern: KXIP coach Lehmann Posted: 19 Apr 2013 02:33 AM PDT  Darren Lehmann walked into the press conference room at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium to friendly hellos from the local journalists. He met them as one would an old acquaintance or mate. The Kings XI Punjab coach surely looked pleased to be back in Hyderabad city, the home to the IPL franchise he coached last year. "I have fond memories of this place and it's good to be back in Hyderabad. I caught up with a few old people and am now looking forward to catching up with a few from the opposition side," he said, before getting to the business of talking cricket. Lehmann's familiarity with Hyderabad and most of the Sunrisers players should help KXIP a great deal. Having worked with the likes of Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra – the premier performers for SRH so far – Lehmann knows his team are for up a tough task. "They've got a very good bowling attack. But we have got our plans. We know pretty much what they do and they know how we play," Lehmann said. "I've always rated Mishy (Amit Mishra, who bagged his second IPL hat-trick, against Pune Warriors in the last match) high. We've got Piyush Chawla and it's going to be a contest between the two leggies. "Ishant has had a fine time with the Indian team. He's a fine young man. He was injured and missed last year's IPL which was disappointing for the team. He's a quality bowler and we will have to work our way to get on top of him," the KXIP coach said. The Kings' IPL 2013 journey has been a bit of a mixed bag, two wins and as many losses. While these are early days in the tournament, Lehmann admits that batting is turning out to be a concern for the team. In their first three games, KXIP scored 100, 138 and 124 before Manpreet Singh Gony's late fireworks helped them to their first 150-plus score, against the Kolkata Knight Riders. "We'd like more runs," Lehmann said. "I think we are the only team in the tournament so far with no batsman scoring a fifty. That's disappointing from the batting group point of view. "I thought we started to bat well in the last match but it was mainly due to Gony's powerful 40-odd. We're doing all things right in the nets and off the field. They've just got to make more runs now," said the coach. Contributing to the team's batting failures is their skipper, Adam Gilchrist's lack of batting form. Lehmann said it has not yet become a major cause of worry for the team. "As captain he has done a really good job and his keeping has been fantastic as well. He has to get more runs and he knows that. But no dramas as such," he said of his former Australian team-mate. Gony's blistering 18-ball 42 gave KXIP a thrilling win over the defending champions and Lehmann said the team will draw a lot of confidence from that win going into this match. "You take the confidence because they're the champions and to beat the best side of last year is important. "But again, it's a long tournament, so you don't dwell in the past too much; you take the confidence from the wins, knowing that you've still got a lot of work to do. It's always about the next match. Hyderabad have won four matches and are going well and we will have to play really well to beat them here. Lehmann hinted at a few changes in the team combination for the contest against SRH, refusing to divulge any detail. "We have a couple of injury concerns and you might see a couple of changes in the XI tomorrow. But we'd like to keep it to ourselves. We'll probably make the decision in the morning," he said. source: iplt20.com |
| Virat Kohli will become a world-class captain: Ab de Villiers #RCB Posted: 18 Apr 2013 11:44 PM PDT  A true game changer, one of the best finishers around, has led his national side and is certainly the epitome of the term 'complete package'. He is a player whose name is synonymous with Royal Challengers Bangalore, and he is a crowd favourite, with a great fan following. Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is the quintessential cricketer, who does everything to near perfect standards. When he fails, his expression betrays him and for a player who has taken his toll on some of the best bowlers in the business, AB still does not enjoy the Super Over. In a chat with the media, RCB's silent assassin spoke of what he goes through as a cricketer who executes some unbelievable shots and how he programmed himself to belt those two sixes that gave RCB two points against the Delhi Daredevils. Excerpts from his media interaction: You have said you do not want to play a Super Over, despite the two sixes the other night. How difficult is it to handle a Super Over? It is a wonderful experience. It is just that you get six balls and it is a bit unfair to strike as a batter. The other night I just got four balls and if I did not score more than 10 runs, then we definitely would have lost the game. That kind of pressure is a bit unfair. We kind of go in and right away we got to score. I haven't hit any balls before and my eye is not in. Normally, when I go out, I enjoy getting that time. I take about 10 balls to stay calm and then you accelerate and put pressure on the bowler. In the Super Over, you don't have that kind of time. The whole team is relying on you getting that boundary off each ball you face and it does get difficult. I like to run around between the wickets but to play such big shots does get a bit difficult. You don't have time, and lucky for me that it came off in the last two deliveries. Those sixes over mid-wicket – was it planned or where you aware about where the bowler would bowl or did you let instinct take over? I just decided to go towards the leg side; felt a lot more comfortable doing that. And other than that I wasn't thinking about anything else. It was just about watching the ball to make good contact. Lucky for me, it came off. With most of the batsmen not having contributed, do you see it as an unhealthy sign here? Not at all. They just haven't had the opportunity to score runs. The middle order – four, five, six and seven – have only batted a few overs and in some games haven't even batted, so it is a bit unfair to rate it like that. I always believed that the top three batters will always be the winners of the Orange Cap. Because four, five, six, seven don't get that opportunity to score that amount of big runs. I believe all of us are in form and there is a good feel as I mentioned before. It is a matter of winning those big moments. If it is one ball, and if Arun Karthik or anyone else can get you one boundary in that one ball, that can win you games and that is most important. Some of shots you play… shots that are unconventional but effective, where does it come from and do you plan them? Those kinds of shots happen when I am in for a long time and have played 20-30 balls. It depends on the pace of the wicket, the rhythm of the game, when it becomes easy to read the bowler. When it is only four balls in one over, it is tough to be innovative and create those kinds of shots. I would rather keep it simple, stand still and watch the ball and try and hit it out of the park. To run around the crease and then hit them doesn't work then. In a big game, you can always make it up, have a few dot balls but not in a Super Over. So that's why I decided to stay back and clear the boundary. At RCB it is a changed set-up from last year – no Kumble and Kohli as captain, How do you feel about it? Kohli has been brilliant. Obviously, he is very young and inexperienced when it comes to that. Having said that, he has made some really positive moves; he has led from the front, he has the batting ability as well. He has shown a lot of leadership qualities, he will learn more along the way and in the next few years, he will become a world-class captain. He is already showing signs of that, and like I said, with experience he will get better. Is there more pressure to win the title this time, having come close in the past? It is pressure for us to win the trophy. We understand we are a good team and we haven't won a trophy yet. It is an important season for us. I think we have had a great start and there is good team spirit. I have got a good feeling for this year. So far the close situations and the key moments have gone our way. We are playing really well and much better than last year. I can see a massive improvement, especially in the bowling department this year and which is very exciting for me. That always pays a big role in improving the confidence of the batters as well. When you believe that you have good bowlers who can defend any total, then you as a batting unit go out with a lot more confidence. Collectively, we are playing a lot better this year. If things go our way, and obviously we need a bit of luck here and there, we could very well win the trophy this year. source: iplt20.com |
| Sehwag, Warner, Jayawardene will need to get runs: DD’s batting and fielding coach Trent Woodhill Posted: 18 Apr 2013 10:05 PM PDT  Delhi Daredevils have had a woeful season so far in the Pepsi Indian Premier League 2013. The Mahela Jayawardene-led side lost their sixth game on the trot after their batting line-up folded against the Chennai Super Kings at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday evening. A batting line-up that has the likes of Virender Sehwag, David Warner and Mahela Jayawardene is yet to make an impression in the ongoing season. Although they have lost a few closely fought encounters earlier in the league, they were outplayed by the Super Kings on Thursday night. With 10 matches still to be played, the Daredevils will be looking for a way to reclaim some of the successes they enjoyed last season. While speaking to iplt20.com after the heart breaking loss, DD's batting and fielding coach, Trent Woodhill reflected on the team's run in the tournament so far. Excerpts from the brief interview: On the loss against CSK and the series so far. Disappointing! Prior to today we had three really close games. Obviously losing in the Super Over to the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bangalore maybe took a little bit out of the guys and maybe there is a little bit of disappointment over today's game. And we are going to bounce back quickly against Mumbai Indians in a couple of day's time. On how difficult it is to regroup and where are they losing their way There is no Kevin Pietersen, no Jesse Ryder. Kevin Pietersen was the best player in the tournament before he left last year (for national duty). To lose him is a big blow. We have got Mahela (Jayawardene), Viru (Virender Sehwag) and David Warner and those three guys will to have to get some runs in the next few games and hopefully come up with a couple of victories. On the challenges for the coaching staff especially to boost the team's confidence Yes for sure. This is the time when they will be needing us. When you are winning it you can just let them go but now we have to find a way for getting some performances from them and get them ready within three days for the match against Mumbai Indians. On whether clicking as a unit is the concern Winning breeds success and losing raises a lot of questions and we have to find a way of freeing the players up so that they can play with aggression and freedom. Make them feel they are making the right decisions and at the moment we going to have to find that pretty quickly. On playing against MI who come into the game on the back of a loss Both the teams are coming in to the game on back of losses so (it depends) on how we both are going to respond. You look at their team and they have a star studded line-up. It's going to be a difficult challenge, but then every game is a challenge and there are no easy games. And every team is full of stars and we have got to make sure that we are ready to go on (and play) in couple of day's time. source: iplt20.com |
| Mohit Sharma Interview: DD vs CSK Posted: 19 Apr 2013 12:01 AM PDT  A visibly pleased Sharma, who is yet to get accustomed to the aura and the fan following of the IPL, also signed a few autographs after his superb performance. In an interview with iplt20.com, the pacer spoke about performing on the grand stage and learning from international stars. The youngster, who was included in the franchise on the back of a successful domestic season, sent back David Warner, Manpreet Juneja and Virender Sehwag at the Feroz Shah Kotla to rock the home team on the back foot. Although he was a bit nervous ahead of the match, Sharma says that the support of his team helped him come off with flying colours in the game. Excerpts from his post-game interview: On whether he felt nervous while bowling to the likes of David Warner, Virender Sehwag and Mahela Jayawardene I was a little bit nervous before the match, but once I went on the field everyone had told me not to think about who is in front of you and who is not. Whoever was there, I had to bowl. So I did not think too much about who is there (and followed Suresh Raina's advice). Raina Bhai had told me to just focus on my bowling. He had told me not to think of how I will bowl the entire over or how I will bowl my quota of four overs, but to just think of the one delivery that I will be bowling at that point. So I bowled thinking about only one delivery at a time and that probably worked for me. On bowling the first ball wide Exactly opposite of what I do happened there. I am an outswinger, (but) that delivery was an inswinger. But I didn't feel very nervous because everyone was very supportive. If someone speaks against (is very critical), then one feels very nervous. But there was no such thing and everything went well. So, I did not feel nervous. On what it felt like to claim David Warner as his first wicket I felt really good. David Warner is a big player. On whether he had planned for the DD openers Coach Stephen Fleming and Andy Bichel who is our bowling coach had told me that the wicket is a bit slow and low so not to think too much but bowl wicket to wicket. And that is what happened to David Warner. He slashed and played on. Because the wicket was slow (the ball stayed low), he was bowled. On whether his prior experience of playing at the Kotla helped What I knew about the wicket happened today. The wicket has usually played a bit slow and low and the same thing happened here today. The plan is not to try too much, go for slight change of pace and not bowl too fast. On his bowling I am not the kind of bowler who experiments a lot. I don't believe in experimenting too much. Only if things are going against me too much, then I try and experiment. Otherwise I believe in sticking to my line. That is my strength, so I will work on that. I bowl on a spot. And I focus on my strengths. On learning from international bowlers like Dirk Nannes, who is also impressed with him I get to learn a lot from all these players. Dirk Nannes, Andy Bichel and the other fast bowlers – they keep telling me where I am going wrong and what I can do to improve, like increase my speed and have a better body balance. I never feel that I am playing with international players on the field or off the field. I always feel like there is a big brother. There is never any communication gap. If they feel I don't understand what they are explaining, they make it easier for me by explaining it to me in cricketing terms. On advice that has helped I have become more disciplined in my bowling because they also told me that I don't need to try too many things and just keep working on what I am already doing and focus on it. On whether he has played against Sehwag before I have played against him twice and he has hit me for runs. I didn't think too much, and like we had discussed and since he is a compulsive puller, we decided to bowl him a short ball and what we did paid off. On playing under MS Dhoni It is probably the best period of my life that I am playing under his leadership. He never puts any sort of pressure on you. He always motivates you. No matter what the conditions are, he never puts any pressure on you. I have never met anyone more positive. On the crowd and the aura of the IPL In the first match, yes it was a bit overwhelming, but then slowly I now am getting used to it; but not completely. When the crowd says some things, I sometimes turn around and look back and am not able to see MS' signs. So that's a bit of a problem. I will get used to it and get over it. source: iplt20.com |
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