All the ’keepers fitting in the team is a good problem to have: Samson
In his first prematch press briefing as Gujarat Titans captain, Shubman Gill started gingerly before coming into his own.
After the expected questions on Hardik Pandya’s move away and Mohammed Shami’s absence, he was pointedly asked what was different in this season’s IPL.
“Look at the captains’ photo with the trophy,” Gill said, ahead of the contest against Mumbai Indians. “That’s how different it is.”
One of four
Gill is one of four new captains this edition, and will be eager to show that his blossoming career has another dimension to it.
Titans will hope that Tewatia, with the bat, and Rashid Khan, with his spin wizardry, deliver the goods against Mumbai Indians.
“It is fantastic to captain a team at a ground I have fond memories,” he said. “
It is an exciting start to
ple will be pretty exciting.”
While acknowledging that Titans would miss Hardik and Shami, the 24yearold was confident in the overall strength of his outfit.
“In a team sport, if you are just looking at two players to get the job done, it means as a team, as a coach or a scout you have not done your job. We have all bases covered.
“Shami bhai is injured unfortunately, but Umesh [Yadav] bhai is a great bowler and I think he can do the job for us.”
Sanju Samson would rather keep wicket. There may be other options for Rajasthan Royals, like Dhruv Jurel and Jos Buttler, but he believes he gets a better view of the action as captain from behind the stumps.
“All the ’keepers fitting in the eleven or twelve is a good problem to have,” Samson said at a press conference on the eve of Rajasthan Royals’ first match of the season (against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday). “Three of us have been doing keeping and fielding sessions during training.”
About Adam Zampa pulling out at the last minute, he said it was a good opportunity for his replacement Tanush Kotian.
As a senior player, having gained international experience, there's bigger responsibility on me this season
TILAK VARMA Mumbai Indians
training session.
Rajasthan Royals players hone their skills at a
“We have been tracking him for the last couple of seasons,” Samson said.
The skipper is expecting a lot from the man of the moment in the Royals team, Yashasvi Jaiswal. “His best phase is yet to come,” he said. “There is a lot more in Yashasvi that we are yet to see.”
LSG’s new assistant coach Lance Klusener said though he was not a fan of the IPL’s Impact Player rule, it was a nice innovation. “To get that call right is a challenge for the coach,” said the former South African allrounder.