Virender Sehwag: KXIP lacked consistency

"We were quite hopeful and there were some close matches and if we had won those, we would have been a bit higher on the table. This is a process that we are going through at Kings XI Punjab and hopefully we have a better team next year and perform better," said Virender Sehwag.

Virender Sehwag hopes KXIP puts up a better show in the next IPL.

Kings XI Punjab’s (KXIP) dismal performance has been one of the constants of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) ninth edition. And Virender Sehwag, as the mentor of the beleaguered franchise, had no qualms admitting it.

“This season is nothing new for Kings XI Punjab. It is just like the previous season. We were bottom of the table then. We are bottom of the table now,” Sehwag said on the sidelines of a promotional event.

“We were quite hopeful and there were some close matches and if we had won those, we would have been a bit higher on the table. This is a process that we are going through at Kings XI Punjab and hopefully we have a better team next year and perform better.”

Pointing out inconsistency as the main reason for KXIP’s failure, Sehwag hoped the team will end the tournament on a high. “We hope that in the coming four games, we perform well. Our foreign players, who have not fired till now, whether it be (David) Miller, (Glenn) Maxwell or (Hashim) Amla, if these guys get going, then we can win any game. So, we are excited about the last four games and hopefully we can do well,” he said.

One of the talking points of KXIP’s campaign was the axing of Miller as captain midway through the season. But according to Sehwag, the passing of baton from the Protean to Murali Vijay hasn’t affected the bunch.

“We took the decision in favour of the team because the team was not doing well and Miller was under pressure being the captain and was not performing as a batsman. We thought if we give captaincy to somebody else then maybe Miller can score runs and win games for us,” he said.

“Everybody took it in a good way and nobody was complaining, not even Miller. As the support staff, it is our responsibility to pick the right captain and I think Murali Vijay was the right choice.”

Despite KXIP’s unsuccessful campaign, Sehwag is impressed with the young Indians in the squad. “The potential that we have in our team in some youngsters like Manan Vohra, Gurkeerat Mann, Wriddhiman Saha, Axar Patel, they are all talented players and I have spent quite a lot of time with them,” Sewhag said.

“I tried to motivate them and teach them some of my qualities so that it benefits them and we have seen the results in some players like Saha, who has been scoring well, or Vohra, who won the man of the match, but we have not been able to translate it into consistent performances and that is why we are at the bottom of the standings.”