Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) mentor, Virender Sehwag believes their skipper Ravichandran Ashwin can lead the side to the maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title in the eleventh edition.
Since KXIP started training at Mohali, Sehwag looked most excited and involved with the new mix of players led by off-spinner Ashwin.
Sehwag also heaped praise on his captain saying that he is a streetsmart cricketer. He also hoped that Ashwin can lead Punjab to something big this summer.
“Having played with Ashwin, I know that he is a very smart cricketer and has a very positive mindset. He is the right choice to lead Kings XI Punjab,” Sehwag asserted.
“Moreover, I am a big fan of bowlers Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who have led their teams to so many titles. Hopefully, Ashwin can do that for us,” Sehwag added.
Meanwhile, Punjab finished as runner-up in 2014 and ended up as a semifinalist in 2008. They are one of the few franchises who are yet to put a hand on the trophy. KXIP also has strong coaching panel with many former cricketers at the dugout.
“During the time I played for India, the captaincy was not really given to any of the bowlers. After Virat, I think some bowler will take on Indian captaincy. He is ideal to share his experience with other bowlers rather than a batsman doing it,” Sehwag said.
Sehwag, who represented KXIP in three seasons, is optimistic about their chances. He also feels the team has the right combination of foreign and Indian cricketers.
“This year we have a very good team which has the right combination of Indian and foreign cricketers. Under Brad’s coaching the team can do well as he has vast experience of T20 cricket along with Chris Gayle who has tasted tremendous success in T20 leagues all over the world,” said Sehwag in a confident tone.
Talking about his role, Virender Sehwag admitted that he needs to see that everyone is treated equally.
Punjab has few all-rounders in their ranks who can win matches with their abilities.
“In 2014 we reached the IPL final but couldn’t win the title, but this year we can change that. We will entertain the fans. We have players who can hit sixes and fours and don’t believe in singles,” the swashbuckling batsman concluded.
Meanwhile, KXIP will start their campaign against Delhi Daredevils on April 8 at Mohali.
