A GOOD IPL WILL HELP ME FOR WC: DHAWAN
Players need to be smart to ensure the body isn’t overworked. Dhawan is looking at the IPL as an opportunity to walk into the WC in top form.
He is back home and India opener Shikhar Dhawan is looking to make it a season worth remembering for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). While the team has failed to rise to the challenge in the last couple of seasons, finishing at the bottom of the table, they have rejigged the squad and brought in a good mix of youth and experience.
Dhawan believes that this team can go the full distance and win the trophy.
Speaking to IANS, Gabbar (as he is fondly known) said that a mix of hard and smart work has ensured that the Delhi Capitals are in the right frame of mind going into the 12th edition of the cashrich league.
“I am looking forward to starting the season with a bang. Feels good to be back home after a long time and when it comes to cricket, we have a very good bunch of boys, a balanced side. Things have changed and I feel that change is good. We have a great support staff and I think we are in the right mindset which is very important.
“The way we are preparing, we are doing a lot of hardwork as well as smart work and I believe we are going to do well this season,” he smiled.
Personally, Dhawan had come into the ODI series against Australia with pundits questioning his form as he had managed to score just two fifties in 14 innings since his innings of 114 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup in September 2018. But Dhawan silenced all with a swashbuckling 143 against the Aussies in the fourth ODI of the 5-match series in Mohali.
Asked if he was under any pressure or if he was getting conscious considering that the World Cup is round the corner, Dhawan was at his wittiest best.
“Conscious about what? This is my daily job. I make sure my basics are taken care of and I have a clear mind. Sometimes you make runs, sometimes you don’t. But I always keep calm and look at the areas where I need to work on and then I go and give it my best shot. I don’t believe in worrying too much,” he explained.
While one would have expected him to take on the captain’s role, Dhawan says he is happy to share his experience with skipper Shreyas Iyer and will be looking forward to mentoring the young players in the team.
“I feel very good and light. Shreyas captained the side last year and his bonding with Ricky Ponting (head coach) is great and it will only grow. As a senior player, I will share all my experience and whatever information I can provide to the team. I can always help my captain and give my inputs. It is on the skipper to decide how much he wants to use it,” he said.
Even as many players have spoken about workload management and the need to be smart to ensure that the body isn’t overworked, Dhawan is looking at the IPL as an opportunity to walk into the World Cup in top form.
“I guess everyone has been given breaks in rotation by the board, even I was given 5 weeks of rest by the selectors after a long time. It is a good thing because while you relax, you also focus on keeping the training regime going (we are given a chart on what all needs to be done). I feel the bowlers are quite fresh.
“The IPL is our home tournament, so we must play and enjoy ourselves. I am sure those who do well in the IPL will take that form forward into the World Cup. Rhythm always helps a cricketer,” he said.
Asked if he planned any differently for the IPL, Dhawan said that he always looks to keep things simple. “I take every match the same way. I ensure that I look at what a certain format demands and I put an effort to work on those areas during practice. I am looking forward to performing well this season and be an asset to my team. I always look to give it my best.
“I want Delhi to do really well this season and win the trophy. It is possible as we have a great side which is really well balanced with some quality Indian players and some good bowlers,” the 33-yearold said.
IANS David Warner might not have been a part of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) last season, but for his teammates, it felt like he was constantly in touch with them throughout the season, experienced middle-order batsman Yusuf Pathan revealed on Saturday.
“He did not feature in the team, but he was always with us. Wins or losses, he always kept in touch and kept motivating us,” Pathan told reporters during an interaction here.
Warner, who was banned for one-year by Cricket Australia for his role in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa last year, helped Sunrisers win their maiden IPL title in 2016, and was the leading run-getter in 2017.
“He backed the players and would always praise if somebody did well. He may be coming back after one year, but it does not feel that he was not there with us last season. He was with us in spirit,” Pathan revealed.
Warner will be the cynosure of all eyes this season along with Steve Smith, the former Australia captain who also faced similar punishment for the same ball tampering row.
Pathan said that one may not be an SRH fan, but everyone will come to watch an “entertainer” like Warner.
“He has always been an entertainer. He always likes to play his shots early. So obviously everyone will look forward to him and how he plays this time.
“He is returning after a long time so many people will come to watch him play again. You may not be a fan of SRH, but everyone enjoys his style of batting. He is an entertainer on the field,” he said.
Warner’s international ban ends on March 28, but the southpaw is eligible to play in franchise leagues and would be hoping to get into his zone to stake a claim in Australia’s World Cup squad.
Coming to Sunrisers, the last year’s finalists will miss Shikhar Dhawan this season as the India