The fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) faces an uphill task in keeping players, who are just back from their World Cup exploits, fresh for the 51-day razzmatazz
The fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) faces an uphill task in keeping players, who are just back from their World Cup exploits, fresh for the 51-day razzmatazz.
The quadrennial event, which got over just last week, had already taken a lot out of the players and now the pressure of leading the franchise in the IPL has only added to the toll.
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| Pune Warriors skipper Yuvraj Singh stretches during a practice session at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai on Saturday. Yuvraj will play his first game for Pune against his former club Punjab on Sunday.
PIC/ Suresh KKu00a0 |
Yuvraj Singh agreed with India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni that the hectic schedule was a drain on the players mentally.
"Very much of what Dhoni said was right. The World Cup was a very emotional tournament for not only the team, but also the whole of India. It has taken a lot of emotions out of us. We had little time to celebrate that (triumph)," said Pune Warriors captain Yuvraj on the eve of their clash against Kings XI Punjab at the DY Patil Stadium.
That jadedness was clearly visible when Yuvraj, who was Player of the Tournament, took the field.
The initial few minutes he stood near the nets, watching his teammates bat.
He then batted for half-an-hour or so. He then warmed up for a while before heading inside the dressing room.
Yuvraj, however, saw the positive side of the situation as well. "The good thing is we have had a lot of training and practice in the World Cup which will definitely help us in the IPL games," he said.
Yuvraj, who will be up against his former IPL team, said there was no place for emotions.
"Not thinking about the emotions. It is the first game of the season and we have to get going from the start. I am looking forward to leading my first game with Pune Warriors," he said.
Yuvraj felt the challenge for his team was to gel quickly and gain early momentum. "We have not played together. It will take some time to get to know each other," he said.
"These things will happen with time. Hopefully our unit will get going as soon as possible. We need to get to know each other quickly, that's very important."
