I remember we were in the bus after beating Delhi Daredevils in the semi-finals, when it suddenly dawned on us that we had qualified for the Champions League, irrespective of the result in the finals.
There was a great deal of excitement when the penny dropped since it meant that we would be competing together once again, against the best Twenty20 sides in the world. As it turned out, we went on to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final, which was extremely satisfying for us.
A lot is being made of the fact that the Indian teams are together for only six weeks of the year while the other teams in the fray play together year in and year out. I don't subscribe to this theory since most teams are showcasing international players who rarely get time off from international duty to play for their domestic sides.
Moreover, the Deccan Chargers are a really well-knit side that enjoys playing together, and our success earlier this year has only added to that sense of enjoyment.
I have great hopes for the Champions League as a tournament of the future. The Indian Premier League is an Indian tournament and, its popularity in South Africa last season notwithstanding, belongs to India. The Champions League opens up a great opportunity for other countries to take the base concept of the IPL around the world.
In time, the Champions League could become one of the most anticipated tournaments we have. It's always exciting to start something new and untried. We had the same sense of anticipation last year when we went out as the Deccan Chargers for the first time. I am sure the Indian fans will take only a couple of games to know all the players from other tea
ms, and the large number of international players will only help.
I arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday, and many members of the team have already assembled here. It's great to catch up with all of them, and there is a sense of wanting to build on our win earlier in the year with a good performance here.
Things have changed for some players in the last five months - Rohit Sharma will now be focused on regaining his place in the India team, while Andrew Symonds faces an uncertain future. However, over the next couple of weeks these guys will have their whole attention focused on the Chargers and their success in this tournament. There are many others in the side who would be aspiring for a national call, and that will only add to their performance for Hyderabad over the next few days.
There is no denying that the Indian teams will start with a clear home advantage, but that will not discourage the other teams. Most of the teams, with the possible exception of Trinidad and Tobago, have a large number of players who have played in India. Also, they would be aware of the challenge of adapting to these conditions and will be ready for it.
Refer: http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/blog/adamgilchrist/2/2adamgilchrist
There was a great deal of excitement when the penny dropped since it meant that we would be competing together once again, against the best Twenty20 sides in the world. As it turned out, we went on to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final, which was extremely satisfying for us.
A lot is being made of the fact that the Indian teams are together for only six weeks of the year while the other teams in the fray play together year in and year out. I don't subscribe to this theory since most teams are showcasing international players who rarely get time off from international duty to play for their domestic sides.
Moreover, the Deccan Chargers are a really well-knit side that enjoys playing together, and our success earlier this year has only added to that sense of enjoyment.
I have great hopes for the Champions League as a tournament of the future. The Indian Premier League is an Indian tournament and, its popularity in South Africa last season notwithstanding, belongs to India. The Champions League opens up a great opportunity for other countries to take the base concept of the IPL around the world.
In time, the Champions League could become one of the most anticipated tournaments we have. It's always exciting to start something new and untried. We had the same sense of anticipation last year when we went out as the Deccan Chargers for the first time. I am sure the Indian fans will take only a couple of games to know all the players from other tea
ms, and the large number of international players will only help.I arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday, and many members of the team have already assembled here. It's great to catch up with all of them, and there is a sense of wanting to build on our win earlier in the year with a good performance here.
Things have changed for some players in the last five months - Rohit Sharma will now be focused on regaining his place in the India team, while Andrew Symonds faces an uncertain future. However, over the next couple of weeks these guys will have their whole attention focused on the Chargers and their success in this tournament. There are many others in the side who would be aspiring for a national call, and that will only add to their performance for Hyderabad over the next few days.
There is no denying that the Indian teams will start with a clear home advantage, but that will not discourage the other teams. Most of the teams, with the possible exception of Trinidad and Tobago, have a large number of players who have played in India. Also, they would be aware of the challenge of adapting to these conditions and will be ready for it.
Refer: http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/blog/adamgilchrist/2/2adamgilchrist
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