![[JUGRAJ SINGH]](https://www.unp.me/data/avatars/m/123/123038.jpg?1591210006){kind=avatar}
Ahead of his first game as the full-time captain of an Indian Premier League side, Suresh Raina looks more relaxed than nervous. After Gujarat Lions snapped up the Uttar Pradesh skipper as their first pick in the IPL player draft, Raina was handed the leadership responsibilities of a team that has been built from scratch. But that doesn't bother the 29-year-old.
"Captain is just a name. You need to have good coaches around and good players around. You need to go there and enjoy.
"I've done it for UP, I've done for the Indian team, I've done it for the IPL team. So this will be interesting for me to just go there and express myself. We do have a coach from Australia and he has done really well in IPL, for Indian as well as for Australia team. So we do have a lot of youngsters and lot of experienced players in our side. We are pumped up and looking forward to our game tomorrow," Raina said, in the press conference ahead of their tournament opener against hosts Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on Monday (April 11).
"It is a new team but we still have old teammates. Baz (Brendon McCullum) is there, (Dwayne) Bravo is there, and few others also. It is important to just know your strength, look to be positive in all three departments and the result will fall in our place."
His counterpart, David Miller, on the other hand, has been around more or less the same think-tank for three years now. Miller, bought by Punjab for INR 6 crore in the 2013 auction, established himself as a batting mainstay of the Mohali-based franchise in no time, and has now been handed the top job after the team decided to let go of George Bailey. As excited as he is to lead the team, Miller has had negligible experience of captaincy, but the South African is banking on seniors to guide him through.
"There's always a lot of pressure in the game that we play, challenges that go up and down but for me it is something to add to my game that I am looking forward to. It is not going to be an easy task but, I'm looking forward to what lies ahead.
"There are so many great players that I can rub my shoulders with, ask advise when I do need and also have the opportunity to lead some younger guys so I am really looking forward to that."
While batting is Punjab's strength, their bowling department looks quite mediocre, which puts Mitchell Johnson, most experienced of them all, under the spotlight. The Australian speedster, who quit international cricket after the historic day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide last year, hasn't played competitive cricket in nearly six months. But Miller brushed aside all concerns with a 'we've had few swollen toes in our camp' comment to leave everyone in splits, when asked if Johnson still has the hunger to perform after a lengthy layoff.
"The fire is definitely there, and the pace is there as well. I don't see why he is not going to do well, he's bowling very quickly he is looking very refreshed and strong as well. He has been training really well for last couple of weeks. He is a great asset to the team. He has played so many international games in his career and he has so much to add to the younger guys and to myself as well."
Apart from Johnson, another senior member of the team whose role comes under the spotlight is Virender Sehwag - now donning the team mentor's hat. Miller feels it is Sehwag's simplicity that has helped him and his side shape up for the challenge ahead.
"Viru bhai is very simple in what he does. He has been a legend for so many years. He has kept things really simple so he is very clear in what he wants. It is good to have someone like that, just to add the experience and listen to someone that's actually been there and done that. It is great to have someone like him with all his class and his experience in the squad."
Miller, asked about the threats the Lions can pose, said his team would much rather focus on what they bring to the table. "Going into tomorrow's game we're making sure whatever responsibility that we have - as bowlers, batters and fielders - we are doing it to our best. We aren't going to look too much at their threats because in every team there are big players and dangerous players so the biggest thing for us is just to have eyes on each other and make sure that our execution is spot on.
"We are thinking being proactive in certain areas making sure we sort out our own games before looking at the opposition because you can get wrapped up in bowling to (Suresh) Raina or facing Dale Steyn and stuff like that. it's just making sure we are doing our process internally and making sure that you tick all the boxes individually," he concluded.
Raina, too, stressed that in a format like T20, all eleven will have to chip in for the team to win.
"I think in this format you have to see where you are going at the moment. You need to see the wickets, you need to see each and everything - what the best (team that) you can play. And then you can always bank on your XI that they can do really well against diff teams. It is a team game, but (we do have) few few players in our dressing room who can surprise any team on a particular day. So I'm pretty sure we are going to do really good," he summed up.
"Captain is just a name. You need to have good coaches around and good players around. You need to go there and enjoy.
"I've done it for UP, I've done for the Indian team, I've done it for the IPL team. So this will be interesting for me to just go there and express myself. We do have a coach from Australia and he has done really well in IPL, for Indian as well as for Australia team. So we do have a lot of youngsters and lot of experienced players in our side. We are pumped up and looking forward to our game tomorrow," Raina said, in the press conference ahead of their tournament opener against hosts Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on Monday (April 11).
"It is a new team but we still have old teammates. Baz (Brendon McCullum) is there, (Dwayne) Bravo is there, and few others also. It is important to just know your strength, look to be positive in all three departments and the result will fall in our place."
His counterpart, David Miller, on the other hand, has been around more or less the same think-tank for three years now. Miller, bought by Punjab for INR 6 crore in the 2013 auction, established himself as a batting mainstay of the Mohali-based franchise in no time, and has now been handed the top job after the team decided to let go of George Bailey. As excited as he is to lead the team, Miller has had negligible experience of captaincy, but the South African is banking on seniors to guide him through.
"There's always a lot of pressure in the game that we play, challenges that go up and down but for me it is something to add to my game that I am looking forward to. It is not going to be an easy task but, I'm looking forward to what lies ahead.
"There are so many great players that I can rub my shoulders with, ask advise when I do need and also have the opportunity to lead some younger guys so I am really looking forward to that."
While batting is Punjab's strength, their bowling department looks quite mediocre, which puts Mitchell Johnson, most experienced of them all, under the spotlight. The Australian speedster, who quit international cricket after the historic day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide last year, hasn't played competitive cricket in nearly six months. But Miller brushed aside all concerns with a 'we've had few swollen toes in our camp' comment to leave everyone in splits, when asked if Johnson still has the hunger to perform after a lengthy layoff.
"The fire is definitely there, and the pace is there as well. I don't see why he is not going to do well, he's bowling very quickly he is looking very refreshed and strong as well. He has been training really well for last couple of weeks. He is a great asset to the team. He has played so many international games in his career and he has so much to add to the younger guys and to myself as well."
Apart from Johnson, another senior member of the team whose role comes under the spotlight is Virender Sehwag - now donning the team mentor's hat. Miller feels it is Sehwag's simplicity that has helped him and his side shape up for the challenge ahead.
"Viru bhai is very simple in what he does. He has been a legend for so many years. He has kept things really simple so he is very clear in what he wants. It is good to have someone like that, just to add the experience and listen to someone that's actually been there and done that. It is great to have someone like him with all his class and his experience in the squad."
Miller, asked about the threats the Lions can pose, said his team would much rather focus on what they bring to the table. "Going into tomorrow's game we're making sure whatever responsibility that we have - as bowlers, batters and fielders - we are doing it to our best. We aren't going to look too much at their threats because in every team there are big players and dangerous players so the biggest thing for us is just to have eyes on each other and make sure that our execution is spot on.
"We are thinking being proactive in certain areas making sure we sort out our own games before looking at the opposition because you can get wrapped up in bowling to (Suresh) Raina or facing Dale Steyn and stuff like that. it's just making sure we are doing our process internally and making sure that you tick all the boxes individually," he concluded.
Raina, too, stressed that in a format like T20, all eleven will have to chip in for the team to win.
"I think in this format you have to see where you are going at the moment. You need to see the wickets, you need to see each and everything - what the best (team that) you can play. And then you can always bank on your XI that they can do really well against diff teams. It is a team game, but (we do have) few few players in our dressing room who can surprise any team on a particular day. So I'm pretty sure we are going to do really good," he summed up.
![[JUGRAJ SINGH]](https://www.unp.me/data/avatars/s/123/123038.jpg?1591210006){kind=avatar}
