Kings XI Punjab will play the brand of cricket I played, says Virender Sehwag

The Kings XI Punjab were juggernauts in the 2014 edition of the IPL. The fans had started believing that they were the team to beat in the competition. However, two failed seasons followed and the team started looking mediocre all over again. Now with the IPL 10 on the cards, the Director of Cricket Operations of KXIP, Virender Sehwag, has quoted that his team will be aggressive right from the word go.

During an event of unveiling the team jersey, the former Indian cricketer said that the team will play bold cricket and is not afraid of losing. “We are not worried about victory or defeat. I will allow my players to play aggressive cricket (in the IPL). The players of Kings XI Punjab would play fearlessly like I have played,” quoted Sehwag as per the quotes in the Deccan Chronicle.

Virender Sehwag further expressed his happiness over the recent signing of Indian speedster Ishant Sharma in the KXIP camp. Ishant was drafted in as a replacment for an injured Murali Vijay. Sehwag said he has good rapport with the Delhi lad as he has shared the dressing room with him on numerous occasions.

“It’s a pleasure to inform that Ishant (Sharma) is now picked up by Kings XI. I have an old rapport with him as we played together in Indian team,” he quoted.

The hard hitting former opener also noted that the bid to rope in a bowler in place of a batsman was after keeping the fact in mind that the matches are often won by the bowlers. Speaking further about his team batting, he cited that Kings XI boasts of a strong overseas batting contingent and if even two of those players click, they will have the match in their hands.

“IPL was known as the game of batsmen but half of the matches in IPL were won due to bowlers, who stopped the batsmen from scoring. So, we have picked Ishant Sharma in place of Murali Vijay to sharpen our bowling attack,” said Virender Sehwag.

“We have good batsmen like Martin Guptill, Glenn Maxwell, Eoin Morgan, Darren Sammy and David Miller. If any two of these batsman perform then we can easily win the match,” he quoted further.

From the point of bottom position, Sehwag believes that the team can only grow from strength to strength now. “Now we can’t go down anymore. Now, we can go up. If our players would perform, our team would reach in the play off,” concluded Sehwag.