How much is too much? Nothing actually, when it comes to playing in the IPL. Even if that means turning your foes into friends overnight. “I just thought I had enough of him,” joked Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene about England batsman Kevin Pietersen. “But now, he’s back again.”
Both had battled it out against each other in the Test series in Sri Lanka before boarding the flight from Colombo, and both headed straight into the Delhi Dardevils dressing room to take on the Chennai Super Kings at the Ferozshah Kotla on Tuesday.
‘Switching’ gears Even if purists point out that players are made of muscles and not micro-chips to jump from the rigours of a Test match to this cricketainment, the players aren’t complaining. “It’s all in the mind how we re-focus ourselves,” says the Sri Lanka skipper. The England batsman is game for the big switch - be it the format or the shot he specializes in. In the news after being cautioned for switching his stance and grip too early, KP can’t understand what the fuss is about. “I know it’s been a bit controversial, but I don’t know why,” he says. “It doesn’t make sense to penalise anyone for this.” The controversy hasn’t dampened his spirits at all. “Can’t say if I’ll stop doing it, given the situation I can,” says Pietersen.
The big face off
All eyes will also be trained on the two skippers when they go out for the toss. This will be the first time Virender Sehwag will be meeting MS Dhoni on the turf since the Daredevils skipper came back after the disappointing Australia tour. Viru’s response that seniors like him, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir had fielded the same way for years - responding to Dhoni saying their fielding on big grounds in Australia forced the rotation policy for the openers — had given rise to talk that there was serious differences within the team.
The big face off
All eyes will also be trained on the two skippers when they go out for the toss. This will be the first time Virender Sehwag will be meeting MS Dhoni on the turf since the Daredevils skipper came back after the disappointing Australia tour. Viru’s response that seniors like him, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir had fielded the same way for years - responding to Dhoni saying their fielding on big grounds in Australia forced the rotation policy for the openers — had given rise to talk that there was serious differences within the team.
Sehwag was then ‘rested’ for the Asia Cup but many felt it was because he had spoken against the skipper. The Delhi batsman is yet to fire in the IPL, and it will be interesting to see if he finds his form.
The last time Delhi played CSK, the boys in yellow had ruled the proceedings in Chennai.