Royals have batsmen up to No. 8: Dravid

RR will not play a single game at Jaipur, the venue Shane Warne had turned into a fortress.

Rajasthan Royals mentor Rahul Dravid (centre), flanked by James Faulkner and Shane Watson on his right and Ajinkya Rahane and Steve Smith on the left, at a press meet in Mumbai on Monday.

Donning the mentor cap appears a natural extension to Rahul Dravid’s wonderful career. After Rajasthan Royals’ long practice session at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday, Dravid, flanked by three Australians — Shane Watson, Steve Smith, and James Faulkner — and Ajinkya Rahane was witty while congratulating the Australians on winning the World Cup.

“It’s hard to say that, but congratulations. Well done, you deserve it,” said Dravid, while hoping that Rajasthan Royals will get the right results.

“It’s always exciting at the start of another IPL season; it promises a lot for Rajasthan Royals.

We are excited about the squad and the quality in it. We have batsmen up to No. 8 and we also have all-rounders.

“We are a balanced side, but all the teams are good. One would tend to agree that all teams would have a few areas to improve.

“I am looking forward to watching some exciting cricket. Hopefully we will get the right results. The players from the Australian World Cup-winning squad have arrived today.

“We also have Ajinkya Rahane here, who was close to becoming an Australian citizen having spent four months there,” said Dravid before fielding questions at a press conference.

Jaipur will be missed

RR will not play a single game at Jaipur, the venue Shane Warne had turned into a fortress. “Well, we would consider Ahmedabad and Mumbai our home now.

“Obviously, we will miss Jaipur. It’s a ground we are familiar with. We played at Ahmedabad last year and that should help us. The CCI is a terrific ground to play cricket. So everybody is looking to play at a great venue.”

Praising the IPL brand, Dravid said: “The IPL has been a truly exciting tournament. The last seven years have demonstrated that.” “It’s an exciting brand of cricket over a period of eight weeks. Even though some players have come after a long international season, you can see their level of commitment. The IPL has been a success and hopefully it will remain to be so.”

When asked if the motivation of players could dip because of their engagement in the World Cup, Dravid felt it could be tough on some players. “I think one has to recognise that it’s not easy for a lot of these guys. Four of them here have really had an emotional roller-coaster ride in the World Cup.

“There will be challenges and the teams have to manage that. I do believe that in our culture, system and the way we do things, we cater to every individual’s needs and feed off them, but I expect, when game time comes, everyone will be switched on, keen to play.”