CHENNAI: Gujarat Titans, who were the runners-up in the last edition of the Indian Premier League, are gearing up for the new season under their new captain Shubman Gill. Gill will be leading this edition as the change was necessitated due to the trade of Hardik Pandya to Mumbai Indians. Nevertheless, Gujarat are a strong unit and are still one the teams that can challenge some of the revamped sides like Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
R Sai Kishore, who led Tamil Nadu to the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy, is in red hot form having taken more than 50 wickets in the Indian marquee domestic tournament. IPL team combination dynamics is such that Sai Kishore could get to play a bigger role for Gujarat this time around. The simple reason being that the four foreign player rule would enable the likes of Kane Williamson, Rashid Khan, David Miller and Spencer Johnson to walk into the playing XI. A place for an Indian spinner is in the offing. Yes, some may argue the case of Noor Ahmad, but the fact that Sai Kishore is also a good batter could favour the Chennai-based player. “We are having a good time at the camp. All of us are working in a relaxed manner and at the same time focusing on our job,” Sai Kishore told this daily.
Gill will be slightly under pressure as people are bound to compare him with Pandya. However, Sai Kishore backs the composed nature of Gill to come in handy. “Gill works in a relaxed manner and knows his job well. He is friendly with all the players and interacts well with them. He understands each and every player’s ability and knows how to use them,” insisted the Tamil Nadu captain. “Hardik led well last season for us. This year he moved to Mumbai. In professional sport, one needs to adapt and move on. We have got in our team a few players who have been captains before. So there are no worries, plus one needs to understand that in a tournament of this size (IPL) both International and Indian players need to mix and play. It is a team sport and as a team we will give our best,” he added.
Personally, Sai Kishore has been in the best form of his life as one saw him bowl his heart out in the Ranji Trophy. “I have been working hard for the last three months. I had a fairly good Ranji season. I am also keen to do well in the IPL and most importantly, I always look to improve and be a better cricketer whatever be the format,” said Sai Kishore. “From red ball to white ball, it is comparatively easy. Having played Ranji Trophy, I am in sync with the game and it will be easy to move to white-ball cricket. Comparatively white to red-ball is tough at times. I am bowling well, the ball is coming out nicely at the moment,” he insisted.
The lanky Tamil Nadu spinner is once again looking forward to bowling with Rashid. The Afghan all-rounder with his unique style and variations has captured the imagination of fans world over. “He (Rashid) is a very different type of bowler. His spirit and body language is something we need to learn. He is a fearless character and I’m also fearless, so I am looking forward to an opportunity to bowl with him,” observed Sai Kishore.
The likes of Williamson, Miller, Gill, B Sai Sudharsan, Abhinav Manohar, Shahrukh Khan, Vijay Shankar and Rahul Tewatia have it in them to win a match of their own. Williamson’s presence will add calmness at the top of the order. “Sai Sudharsan gave a good account of himself last season in the IPL. This time too we expect him to do well. He is a talented and hard working boy. I am sure he has it in him to do well this season too,” he added.
Ashish Nehra, coach of the Gujarat team has played a big role in putting the new entrant into the league on track. His passion and hard work has borne fruit for the team. “Nehra is a very nice human being. He is very honest and never speaks behind your back. This honesty motivates the players to take his observations, suggestions and incorporate it into their game and play to their optimum level,” signed off Sai Kishore.