Former Mumbai Indians chief mentor Shaun Pollock believes Sachin Tendulkar’s form will be crucial for the fortunes of his former side. “I think Mumbai will need him to play well. Here is a guy so great so you would obviously want him to bat 20 overs and steer the ship through. If he can get some scores he can get the team to victory in some matches,” Pollock was quoted as saying by Gulf IPL News.
Since the first season of IPL if there is one bond which has grown stronger it is that between Virender Sehwag and Tillakaratne Dilshan. “My friendship with Viru has grown stronger since we teamed up for the Daredevils in the inaugural year in 2008,” Dilshan was quoted as saying by The National. “Both our families spend time together and this bond is after we became teammates. Our relationship has created a bond of friendship that helped us complement each other in many ways as a family unit.”
Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan believes, Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the best when it comes to handling pressure. “His record suggests that he is a leader who enjoys pressure, and more importantly, as captain of India, he is used to intense pressure and scrutiny. He has great man-management and leadership skills, and is known to back his decisions. Chennai have been consistent in both editions so far, and I expect the team to be one of the favourites this time as well. Shane Warne: A born leader, I rate him very highly for his cricket brain and also his ability to absorb pressure,” Imran wrote in The Times of India.
Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist has joined the chorus for a separate window for the IPL. Gilchrist’s side is affected by absence of key players as other teams. “All teams are affected by the absence of their top players. We are not full strength yet and that is where the management comes in. It is a good opportunity for youngsters as it is not just about foreign players but about the local Indian talent,” Gilchrist was quoted as saying in Mail Today. “The ICC and IPL do need to sit down and create a window for the league. More and more players want it to happen.”
Co-owner of Kings XI Punjab Preity Zinta believes her team has a strong will and enough fire to win IPL 2010. “We have a very talented side and we have strong will to go and win the tournament. Last time we had seven injured players which no one could help. I believe an IPL team is judged by the strength of strong domestic players and not the international players. We have three-four new domestic players and I hope they will strengthen the base,” said Preity.
