Published: Apr 14, 2016, 02:43 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 14, 2016, 02:43 PM (IST)
New Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Gujarat Lions (GL) are all set to play their second match of the Twenty20 (T20) contest and before the match, GL coach Heath Streak praised his team man Ravindra Jadeja saying he has good brains to read the game. Gujarat Lions posted an easy victory over an experienced Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at the latter’s home ground which is sure to boost their confidence for the next matches. The team has a very strong number of in-form players and will now face Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) at Rajkot. Rajkot will host its first IPL match on Thursday with the GL vs RSP match. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: Gujarat Lions vs Rising Pune Supergiants, GL vs RPS, Match 6, IPL 2016, at Rajkot
Talking to iplt20.com, Streak said, “He is an important player for India and for us in the IPL. He can bat, bowl and give you good runouts. He has good brains to read the game. He bats as per situation at No.7. He is a local boy and he has a lot of information about the wicket and local conditions. He is a key member and one of the first members to take feedback from.”
Suresh Raina explained the excitement that Gujarat has about hosting IPL. ““It’s (a special occasion) for everyone. Gujarat never had an IPL team in the first eight years. We are looking forward to playing for Gujarat.” Both the teams have players who represented Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Mentioning that, Raina said, “They will be also playing their first game against us, so it is the same for both the teams. We will play positively against them. This is our first game in Gujarat, so home support will be there. Pressure will be there on the opposition, but MS is the type of captain who has earned respect everywhere. We too have some players who are respected everywhere, so it is going to be quite an interesting game.”
Raina also revealed how Streak has been open to get along with the team quickly. “Heath (Streak) has played many matches for Zimbabwe in India, so he knows what it takes to motivate Indian youngsters. Then when you have so many seniors like Baz (McCullum), DJ Bravo, (Dwayne) Smith, James Faulkner, you have a lot to learn in the dressing room. How to enjoy and have fun together. That makes you perfect. Coaches give us the platform to express ourselves and be calm. That’s the key to T20 success.”
