Sunrisers Hyderabad’s mentor V.V.S. Laxman believes that momentum is the key to success in this season’s IPL.
In a chat with The Hindu , Laxman said that the team was looking to start off its campaign well which was not the case in the previous editions.
“Early momentum can mean a lot in this format. For once you start winning you can keep winning and also the same if you start losing the games,” he explained after a practice session with the team at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here.
“We have to win the crucial matches. If you remember we were somewhere in the top three before the last couple of games and once we lost them, we slipped down the table. This time around, we are focussing to see that this is not repeated,” Laxman pointed out.
“The first objective is to qualify for the play-offs. We are capable of doing that. We have a good balanced side. I am pleased with the new players especially the Indian cricketers in the team,” said Laxman. “We are monitoring Yuvraj Singh’s fitness and should get a clear picture by Thursday”.
“Shikhar (Dhawan) and Warner (David) might not have had a really great T20 World Cup but are capable of striking form any time. It is good to have leaders like Kane Williamson (New Zealand captain) and Eoin Morgan (England captain) in the side. They bring in experience and class with them,” he explained.
“With Ashish Nehra high on his World Cup T20 form, we are definitely keen to keep an eye on the kind of workload he has to be given as he happens to be the spearhead of the attack. And, we have very good spinners too,” said the former India star.
“I was surprised that except for Mumbai and Mohali, the pitches were tough for stroke-play during the World Cup. I am not sure whether there will be spin-friendly tracks or not in the IPL. Our bowlers are ready for any given challenge,” the 41-year-old said.
Laxman insisted that there were no clear favourites. “All teams are settled with players rich in IPL experience. The key to a team’s fortunes rests on how well it plays on the given day and not just on reputation,” he pointed out.
Referring to the fact that SRH will play all its home games in Hyderabad, Laxman said it was better to play at one venue where the familiarity of playing conditions and training schedules should be of great help to the team.
“I am pleased to be back on the field after the brief stint as a commentator. It is always a great feeling to share a few thoughts with the boys,” a confident Laxman signed off.
