Ashwin’s leadership will make a difference, say Sehwag and Hodge

Virender Sehwag and Hodge both felt that Ashwin’s leadership would make a difference to KXIP. “I think he (Ashwin)is a very smart cricketer. I know the kind of mindset that he has so he is the right choice to captain Kings XI Punjab. I am a complete fan of having a bowling captain. I watched Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis… they led their teams to so many wins. Hopefully Ashwin can do that for us.” 

“I think that the leadership skills of Ashwin will bring a difference to Kings XI,” Hodge stated while adding, “His engagement with the players has been outstanding since his arrival. He wants to make a difference, he wants to make a statement for Kings XI and that was the reasoning behind the leadership choice. We want everyone to be part of this organization post this year, five-ten years down the track. I think Ashwin’s is going to be that leadership that’s building (the team) and which will give everyone courage on the field. He is an aggressive cricketer and that’s also a factor he will bring about a certain change in this franchise for sure.”

Speaking to the media at a team event, Sehwag said, “This year we have the best team if I compare the last ten years. We have got a very good (combination) of Indian and foreign players. Hopefully we will do well this year under Brad Hodge’s coaching. He has himself played a lot of T20s so he is (one of the most) experienced here besides Chris Gayle. In 2014 we reached the final but hopefully we will win this year.” 

Speaking about the squad, Sehwag said, “We have got very good players so we will find it difficult to select the playing XI. It is important to pick the right eleven against an opposition. I have played with some of these players and know their capabilities. They have the talent but in sport it depends on the day. In case we have eight good days then we can win at least eight games and qualify for the play-offs.”