Pravin Amre, the assistant coach is confident that Delhi Capitals can be a champion team because ‘we have the material to deliver.’
How much will DC miss Shreyas Iyer?
We will miss Shreyas big time because he took up the leadership when the team needed it. We were looking for a leader and we thought he would deliver. Everyone was happy to see how he emerged as a leader and a batsman. We were looking forward to see him score at the top with Rishabh (Pant) taking over in the middle overs. His consistency mattered a lot. In the IPL history, we are a team with a good run-rate in the middle overs. But you have to move on. The way Shreyas was batting, I would have expected 500 runs from him. But I am glad DC has a back up.
Lessons from the last IPL in Dubai?
Last year in Dubai, the general talk was DC looked very good — balanced team with match-winners. We reached the final on form as we had players who played to their potential. Mumbai Indians was the team to beat but DC was talked of highly. DC had the ability to beat MI. We jelled as a team. The bonding was there along with the culture of playing as a team. You lose and you learn. The 13 and 14 number games were must-win and we delivered.
How tough is it to play in a bio-bubble?
For any team preparation is the key. It is a challenging IPL. To handle 25 people with each having the ability to play in the XI will be a daunting task. Due to the restrictions the preparation time is cut short but we have to mentally cope with the challenges too.
Moment from the last IPL?
The RCB game. It was a must win encounter. It was a huge match. Having done well in the first half we were down to winning this match at all cost. The team handled the situation very well to reach the final for the first time ever. Glad we broke that jinx. The fans are expecting a title win this time.
How different is the team from the time you left it?
It is a great tournament and always tough to win. We have eight solid teams. One bad day can eliminate you. I was always sure it was a matter of winning the crucial game. We have to cross the line. Have to cross that hurdle because we have the self-belief. We can take that big step even though we have to start from scratch. Under the leadership of Ricky (Ponting) we can pull it off. Rishabh is there to lead. It can be a champion team because we have the material to deliver. We have the best off-spinner (R. Ashwin), best leg-spinner (Amit Mishra) and Axar (Patel) who excelled in the Tests. We have a power hitter like (Shimron) Hetmyer, Steve Smith and Ajinkya (Rahane) with awesome experience. Prithvi Shaw can be expected to deliver. Rishabh is a very different version and he will be the key. His cricket in the last four months for India gives you so much hope. He is looking matured and has developed into a great match-winner.
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