For the Chennai Super Kings, it's great to be in the Champions League semifinal, coming on the back of our win in the IPL. By the time this column reaches you, we would have played the semifinal, but win or loss, it's been a great journey.
It's great to get to play, but it does feel a bit odd to replace someone like Matthew Hayden, who is such a big player, irrespective of the form of the game.
I've enjoyed batting at the top of the order alongside Murali Vijay. My job has just been to provide support - sort of the silent partner - as Vijay is hitting it to all parts at the moment. It's not just him, all the top order batsmen have chipped in at different times. In a sense, that's what T20 is about.
We've had three different sets of conditions to deal with, and the manner in which the boys have treated this as a challenge and adapted has been heartwarming.
There was an interesting angle for me, playing against the Victoria Bushrangers, with my brother being in the opposition. In a sense, it reminded me of the many backyard games we played, but we've also come across each other in the Sheffield Shield more than once.
{{/usCountry}}There was an interesting angle for me, playing against the Victoria Bushrangers, with my brother being in the opposition. In a sense, it reminded me of the many backyard games we played, but we've also come across each other in the Sheffield Shield more than once.
{{/usCountry}}The focus is on our own team because we might not be playing together for much longer. With the fresh player auctions for the IPL coming up, there's no saying who will go where, and we want to make the most of the time we have left together.
Personally, it's been fantastic to work with the Super Kings, simply because of the kind of franchise they are.
Their commitment to the game has been outstanding and delivering a win will be the perfect result.