Delhi Capotals assitant coach Mohammad Kaif said on Wednesday that the first IPL of UAE-led vs SunRisers Hyderabad will set the tone for the rest of the tournament in Dubai.
“There has been a big break after the first half of the IPL, but we are fortunate that most of the players have been playing international cricket regularly. We have a well-balanced side as there are players with international cricket experience and domestic players, who have been putting in good performances. The first match is going to be crucial for us. Our performance in the first match will set the momentum for us.”
Delhi Capiatls are currently leading the points tally with 12 points from eight games.
Kaif also stressed on changing the team combination owing to change in conditions.
“We played well in India and now we have to carry forward our performance here in the UAE. The roles for some of the players compared to the first half of the IPL may change because the conditions are different here. We have to start afresh in the second half of the tournament. We are looking to get used to the conditions here in the next few days and also play a couple of practice matches,” said the 40-year-old.
On Shreyas Iyer’s comeback to the side, Kaif said that the batsman’s return is the biggest plus for the team, “There are not many changes to the squad as compared to the first half of the tournament, however the biggest plus for us is that Shreyas Iyer is back in the squad. He is a fantastic player and he’s been playing well for us in the last couple of seasons. We are looking forward to seeing him play this season.”
