Hyderabad: As much as he loves Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the Andhra boy that he is, India's former cricketer Venugopal Rao had no hesitation in picking his favorites in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) -- because the team is led by MS Dhoni and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) -- because of the energy that Virat Kohli infuses into the team and the tournament.
Rao's heart wants SRH to win as the Hyderabad team was the first that he enunciated when ETV Bharat asked to pick a team that would lift the trophy this year. From Dhoni to young Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rao's frank, joyous and yet downright attitude in the interview sheds light on the IPL and his take on several facets of the game.
Excerpts:
Q. How do you see this IPL for MS Dhoni? A memorable one since this might be the last time he would feature in the tournament?
A. I am very clear that he said his last game will be in Chennai. He never said that this would be his last year. It's always great as to what Dhoni brings to cricket and IPL and what he has done for the country. What Dhoni does also got reflected in this tournament when it started in 2008. People in Chennai love him like he is a local boy. Even the players that worked under him were helped by his presence. Players like Suresh Raina and Ruturaj Gaikwad played under his captaincy. I am only worried about who will lead after MS?
Q. Do you think we will be able to witness the same Suryakumar Yadav in the IPL that we are used to due to his dip in form in the recently held India-Australia ODI series?
A. One thing that you need to remember is that he is the no.1 T20I player in the world. Yes, he did get out on the first ball in the last three innings in ODI but he will get runs in IPL, for sure and he will be the impact player for Mumbai Indians. In a tournament like IPL, you have plenty of opportunities. A minimum of 14 games will be there and he has that time. Plus, seven games will be played in Mumbai itself. Every player in the world goes through such a phase, and he will perform for the Mumbai Indians despite what we saw in the Australia series.
Q. Which team would you pick to win the IPL this year and why?
A. If I don't say SRH, I won't be spared (laughs). I like CSK, personally because of Dhoni. About RCB, Virat Kohli infuses a lot of energy into the tournament. He has already said that 'my best is yet to come'. We hope we see that this IPL. So, I can't really ignore RCB as well. Mumbai Indians are the five-time champions and Rohit Sharma would definitely want to have the feel of the trophy once again. Delhi is a strong team, RR has been good with the presence of Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson. It was also good to see how Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans. It sure will be a good tournament. It's hard to pick one team but it's going to be a wonderful tournament this year.
Q. One young and one international regular player that you think will shine this year...
A. Yashasvi Jaiswal -- because of the way he played last year and he scored a double hundred in the Irani Trophy recently. Also because he is a left-hander and very aggressive. Another one from the RCB -- Rajat Patidar. I think both of them will play for India soon. Cameron Green will be my international pick who will leave his mark in the tournament.
Rao will be commentating in Telugu for the IPL broadcast this year at Star Sports.
Q. The way Chris Gayle and AB played during their peak, do you think we still have players of their caliber in the tournament to take the game to its highest level?
A. You get players such as AB once in a lifetime. Can anybody match them? I don't think so. About Chris Gayle, he is an entertainer, isn't he? I have doubts if this generation of players can take their legacy forward.
Q. With Virat Kohli regaining form, can he still perform in the tournament as he used to during his heydays?
A. The kind of form Kohli has been in recent months, I think we will witness his best version. The kind of support that he gets at home, he will definitely make an impact.
Q. How do you see Hyderabad performing post-David Warner era? Do you think Umran Malik will deliver better this time?
A. The way he led the side in 2016, his captaincy was spot on. Moreover, the way he entertained everyone during the times of Covid-19 -- we saw a completely different Warner. He did very well as an opener, as a player, as a captain, and as a human being. Umran Malik will definitely do well because he has the international experience now. He will be very crucial this year for SRH.
