After a poor season in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Sunrisers Hyderabad removed Brian Lara from the position of their head coach, as former New Zealand all-round Daniel Vettori replaced him for the job.
Sunrisers finished at the bottom of the points table in IPL 2023, with only four wins in their 14 games. The West Indie batting superstar, however, played the role of Hyderabad’s batting coach before taking over as the head coach. But, after only one season, the ‘Orange Army’ parted ways with Brain Lara.
The left-hand batting legend remembers how much love he received in India, just like his family, along with the famous food ‘chhole bhature’. However, Lara admitted even though he loved this country, Bollywood didn’t play any part in it.
‘I’m not a big Bollywood fan. I do come from a country with a majority Indian population. So, there is a lot of interest in Bollywood.’ Brian Lara said in a recent interview. ‘I’m not even an English movie fan. So, unfortunately, Harry Potter and these things, I haven’t really seen,”
‘It has a positive effect on me being in India’- Brian Lara on the specialty of India
The 55-year-old is doing the commentary for Star Sports in the current Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
‘But what I do like about India is the unconditional love.’ The West Indian added rapidly.
One of the greatest batters of all time, specially in the longest format of the game, Brian Lara spoke about why India has been really close to his heart.
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‘I think when you come to India, the way how you’re treated, you know, and when you turn any corner there is a smile on someone’s face just from seeing you.’ He told me in the interview. ‘I think that’s something that’s refreshing and you it’s also very positive’
The left-handed swagger, Brian Lara has nailed 11953 runs in 131 Tests, at an average of 52.88, and a strike rate of over 60, with 34 centuries and 48 fifties. While in the One-day Internationals (ODIs), Brain Lara was part of 299 games, for his 10405 runs at an average of 40.48, and a strike rate of nearly 80 with 19 hundreds and 63 half-centuries.
‘It has a positive effect on me being in India, being loved in a foreign country and the way that they (welcome).’ The Prince of Trinidad observed. ‘Walking in Miami on South Beach, everybody’s pushing you out of the way. But in India, it’s a whole different story, everybody pushing into you.’
‘I think that from someone who started playing the game for the adulation from my father and from my siblings to having the adulation in India is something that I love.’ The veteran added. ‘But it’s also the serenity of the people.’
Brian Lara picked Sunrisers Hyderabad as his favorite to make IPL 2024 knockout
During the season, Brian Lara was the batting coach of the Sunrisers, the 2016 champions finished at number eight with six wins in 14 games at a net run rate of -0.379. However, the former coach still has gone with their former team along with Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Chennai Super Kings to make it into the playoffs in this IPL.
‘I have to make it very clear because sometimes people will think you relationship with SRH was so bad but I would love to see SRH do well.’ Lara admitted. ‘I feel it’s a continuation of something.’
The former West Indies captain concluded by saying that when the Indian players travel to the West Indies, and they go to Trinidad, the quantity of affection for the player gets doubled.
