Though Royal Challengers Bangalore coach, Ray Jennings has raised concerns about the three Indian Premier League teams participating in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament but Delhi Daredevils captain, Gautam Gambhir seems to have a different opinion on the issue.
The newly appointed skipper does not believe in the fact that the IPL teams, will be on a lower side as compared to the other teams, which play as a group throughout the year. He rather seemed confident of his team and said that most of the international players in the side have been playing one-day cricket and are in very good nick and that can be an advantage in the October 3-23 tournament.
Though AB de Villiers, who is nursing a back injury, will not be available for the tournament, and doubts have been raised about the availability of Paul Collingwood who is also nursing an injury, but the Daredevils are confident as they have Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, Tillakaratne Dilshan in their top order.
And Delhi coach David Saker, seemed positive about his side’s prospects in the Twenty20 tourney. While he agreed that losing AB was a big loss but at the same time said that his side has probable the two or three best batsmen in any form of the game, Sehwag, Gambhir and Dilshan. He added that the only department of concern was fielding where Delhi would miss the agility of de Villiers. He also said that the injury concerns have opened doors for some other Indian players like Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia who have been waiting for an opportunity.
It would be an interesting duel between the two coaches Greg Shipperd who is Delhi’s head coach in the IPL and Saker, who is Victoria’s bowling coach, is his deputy, as Delhi take on Victoria in their opener on October 9. Reason being that Shipperd would be guiding Victoria in the Champions League while Saker would temporarily guide Daredevils in the tournament. And Gambhir agreed to the fact. He did not seem much bothered about Shipperd passing some valuable points to Victoria about Delhi and was happy about the fact that Saker would instead help his team with some information about Victoria players. He said that it would be a good contest especially so when the teams would have two coaches who know each and every thing about every player.
