Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab: For Dravid it will be more about team co-ordination

Rahul Dravid knows stepping into Shane Warne’s shoes as captain-cum-mentor of Rajasthan Royals is a huge ask, but The Wall, who has retired from international cricket says that it would be more about team coordination.

"I have taken over as captain, coach and mentor from Shane Warne so there are little more expectations but I feel these are more of words and basically it all is more about coordination because there is support staff and one has to use these experts for better results," he added, according to The Indian Express report.

"I have been playing in this format for past four years so do not think there would be any different feeling or any new challenge. I am lot more keen and focused," Dravid told reporters on the eve of their match against Kings XI Punjab here on Friday.

Meanwhile Sunil Gavaskar in his column in The Times Of India writes in Sourav Ganguly, Pune warriors have a captain who has a point or two to prove to so many as player. “The determination that he brings to the game should rub off on his players and they could be a dangerous team if underestimated. The first few games will be crucial for them simply because they have too many replacement players and it may take them some time to gel,” he adds.

“The Rajasthan versus Punjab clash should be interesting to watch. Rahul Dravid, free from the responsibilities of shoring up India's innings in Test cricket, will be looking to play his shots. The manner in which he batted in the T20 game in England after announcing his retirement from limited-overs cricket is a pointer to what we can expect from him. He will enjoy his batting now and that could be contagious, working in his team’s favour. Adam Gilchrist may not have played much cricket but he remains one of the most dangerous batsmen and can take the game away from the opposition in a matter of deliveries,” writes Gavaskar.

Meanwhile, Dravid was all praise for the team’s domestic talents. Even though Sreesanth will not be available for the first few games, the captain sounded confident. “It’s unfortunate that Sree is not fully fit. He will have to sit out in the next 2-3 games. But we have good players like Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Menaria, Stuart Binny who can make it big. Menaria is an exciting talent. He has shown what he can do in the practice sessions, and I think both Rahane and Menaria have a good future ahead,” Dravid said, according to The Tribune.

Writing about his team in HT, Sourav Ganguly says that Pune Warriors have a good bunch of boys and there are players in the group who want to get on the park to make a mark. “As for me, it’s good to be back in the IPL after a long season of domestic cricket. Our first encounter is with the good Mumbai Indians on their turf. It is always an advantage to start off against a good side because your strength and weaknesses are evaluated properly. Mumbai have a bowling balance which can be suitable on various surfaces,” writes Ganguly.

“For us, it’s a good opportunity to get our balance right. We are a young side. Three of our players are in the India T-20 squad and many others are knocking at the door. For guys like Robin Uthappa, Callum Ferguson and Steven Smith it's a big stage to show the selectors that they are indeed ready for the international scenario,” adds Ganguly.