Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman go head to head before the DC vs SRH clash
Who is the 'X Factor' for IPL franchises Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals? A few names come in mind to all IPL fans, but Delhi Capitals advisor Sourav Ganguly and Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman have different opinions.
Ahead of the high-octane clash between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, DC advisor Ganguly and SRH mentor Laxman, go head to head as to which franchise will come out on top in the fixture and who are 'deciding factors' for each team.
In an exclusive interview with IndiaTV, Ganguly and Laxman open up and take a few jabs at each other ahead of the clash. From old mates to rivals in the DC vs SRH clash, Laxman and Ganguly take center stage this time not as a teammates, but two rivals.
On being asked as to which team will get the upper hand in today's clash, the two former greats have dissimilar answers.
Ganguly: "It will be a competitive match, SRH's form is good and Delhi is also in great form, whichever team plays good cricket will win."
Laxman: "The previous two matches SRH played have been great, both matches have been high scoring. The batsmen are in great form, but we cannot take any IPL team for granted. DC have great players with the likes of Rabada, Morris, Pant as well. T20 is such a format that if you lose a few matches, the pressure increases. The momentum that you have goes away. We will aim to follow our game plan in Kotla."
Delhi Capitals have played four matches so far, where the Shreyas Iyer led DC have won two and lost two, while SRH have played three, where they have won two and lost one and will hope to claim their third win in Kotla.
Does the home and away matches make a difference to the teams? While the former India captain disagrees, Laxman believes that the atmosphere around might be a motivational factor.
Ganguly: "It doesn't make much of a difference to me being at home or playing away cause we're playing in India. The cricketer just has to focus on playing good cricket."
Laxman: "The wickets are mostly the same in the summer. Playing at home motivates the players, we see the orange army around. It feels good. A cricketers role won't change be it home or away, the main focus is to help the team win."
Coming down as to which player can be the 'X Factor' for either of the teams, the DC advisor's main aim is to take down explosive batsman David Warner early. While Laxman believes that it's the all-round team performance which can make a difference, Ganguly just wants DC to remove the 'Warner threat' ASAP.
Ganguly: "We have many match-winners in our team. Shaw nearly won it for us that day, Pant is a match winner, Dhawan can win us matches, Ingram as well. We have a balanced team. Each team has lost a match or so and that’s how the IPL is. If we get Warner out early, we can control the inning from thereon."
Laxman on SRH's 'X Factor': "We play as a team. A batsman will always score runs and a particular bowler will always take wickets, but what matters the most is an all-round performance by the boys. Everyone has to contribute."
For Delhi Capitals, Warner is a major threat as the Aussie batsman has been taking the bowlers to the cleaners, helping his team win two matches so far. He is currently the Orange cap holder, making him the leading run scorer this season which includes a ton.
SRH mentor Laxman is in awe of how Warner has performed in the last few matches and believes that his 'determination' can inspire Hyderabad to win matches.
"I'm not surprised by Warner's form. He's a mentally tough player and takes pride in what he does and is a highly impactful player. A player who hasn't played international cricket for an entire year, is hungry to perform. I'm truly inspired by his determination, his running between the wickets, playing all 20 overs. He's worked on his fitness and it shows. SRH is like an extended family for him and his aim is to help Sunrisers win," concluded Laxman.
Delhi Capitals host Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 16 of the Indian Premier League on April 4 (Thursday).
(Interviewed by IndiaTV's Sports Executive Editor Samip Rajguru)
