IPL Secrets Exposed: Auction Strategy, CSK, RCB, Rohit & Virat | Tanay Tiwari | FO487 Raj Shamani

Rajchandra Royals gave Sanju Samson this position and Jaleja Leela.

Chennai Super Kings want Sanju Samson because this is definitely MS' last season. And imagine how well it has worked out. What form that guy is taking! Before that, Sanju Samson has made a lot of mistakes. The world has been complaining about Sanju Samson that when will the big days come?

They have come.

Virtual quarter final, World Cup semi final, World Cup final. Sanju Samson has made a lot of mistakes. The world has been complaining about him that when will the big days come? They have come.

Virtual quarter final, World Cup semi final, World Cup final, Egos 97, 89, 89. No one can do it.

One of the most loved cricket commentators, Tanay Tiwari is back. In this episode, he told us how IPL auctions are done, how the captaincy is decided and he also shared some of the IPL secrets that every cricket fan wants to know.

If you are a cricket fan, then don't miss this episode. Young players, if they get a lot of money in the beginning, it becomes very difficult for them to perform.

It's very easy to forget that it's all because of that bat and ball. Prithvi Shaw is an example. He did very well at age group cricket and then suddenly vanished.

Not Pakistan. There's no comparison. He can bowl a 140, bat with a strike rate of 180.

Aura.

It's just the mindset of Hardik Pandya that he was wrong like Hardik. He's the team's vice-captain.

Which team do you feel should win this on paper? Mumbai Indians. Rate teams. Mumbai?

Nine and a half. Mumbai Indians.

Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians.

Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians win on paper? Mumbai Indians.

Rate teams? Mumbai?

9.5

RCB?

8 again.

LSG?

7.5 again.

CSK.

Chennai Super Kings is the most exciting team to watch because no one knows how they will play cricket. Ask questions on the rating.

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available on Flipkart, check out the link in the description. I was speaking to Rohit Bhai.

Yes.

And I had spoken to him about this. About the last cricket versus the current cricket.

Yeah.

How it was before. And he said... that... we didn't know about it at the time. I had a cheque of around 50 lakhs in my first IPL. I was counting zero.

And when I came to the bank, I confirmed four times that I have got 50 lakhs. Because we didn't know that this is also possible. We wanted to play cricket. We wanted to play for India. We didn't know. And today, you see a 19-year-old kid taking a Range Rover after the IPL.

Now, you know how many people won't play for India. And their aura is huge. Because they are earning a lot of money. What the league has done is incredible. So, Indian cricket world cup winning captain saying this about young players.

There's a lot of good and bad to it.

Both. Yeah.

He understands what happens to people on psychology. That psychology and he is seeing the change. I am sure it will be very difficult to manage all the individual stars. Because now, career is set. Earlier, they were scared. If it doesn't work, it's over. Now, they are not scared.

If it doesn't work, we will play in the IPL.

Correct. If not in the IPL, we will play in the other team.

It's not...

Yes, correct.

People are not scared of getting a chance.

If one season doesn't work, then... whether it's UP T20, Delhi League, MP League...

It's a very long road.

But they can be Chennai Super Kings superstars in the next three months.

Imagine what that does to their brand value. So, 14, 3 is what? 42 crores.

Imagine.

Shorted life. Life. It's done. We have money. Now we just have to play for other things. Yeah, which is not a bad thing because a lot of them Have you seen Vinku Singh's story? His father was a cylinder.

And from there to now, he has a house. He's got a good family. It's so unfortunate he lost his father. But that's how lives change. Yeah. So yeah. So it's a good thing that money and financial security are separated from the equation. But then there's the level-headedness.

Because you should understand this. And when you start from zero, it costs a lot of money. And it does cost 50 crores. 50 crores is a lot of money. But you also have to realize that if I'm worth 42-52 crores, and if I play well, then the money will be secondary.

Now I have to do something bigger. Sometimes, ambition shouldn't die there is my worry.

Do you think you've met people, young players, who get a lot of fame or money in the beginning, it becomes very difficult for them to perform consistently and become a better player.

That's what I'm saying. Because hunger... If water falls on dry land, it soaks up all the water in the first time. Right? Because it's been dry for so many days.

It soaks up all the rain in the first rain, it soaks up all the water. Right? Because it's been dry for so long. It soaks up all the rain in the first rain. Then as the water starts to fall, it starts to get a little more solid. It starts to get better. But then it is up to you. Once you're satisfied, once you're fulfilled, once you're done with all this, how do you generate hunger?

First, you're hungry. You look at the world and see that the world is there. It's doing this, it's doing that. I have nothing. So I reached there. And it's very easy to reach there in this world. You said, you have 14 crore rupees, Range Rover, a nice house, a very good watch,

with good people.

Life is set in 14.

Life is set in 14.

Life is set in 14. So I asked somebody who was one of the owners in IPL.

So I asked somebody who was one of the owners in IPL. So I thought, why didn't so many people bid on Vaibhav Suryavanshi? There was one point something, right?

Yeah.

So Vaibhav Suryavanshi went for 1.1 crore. And last year, he washed in Rajasthan.

And he was very famous.

He washed in the year 2019.

Then 2019. So his name is going on.

Correct.

And after that, no one bid. So, I asked one owner first. He gave me an answer. Then I asked another owner. And what I loved is that both the owners gave the same answer. But both owners said that he is very young. Let's see, he has only played for one season.

So, I don't know if he has got fame so soon. So, is it good for him to invest a lot of money in him? Will he be able to maintain the same form? Let's see. And will he be able to handle it? And both of them said the exact same words.

Yeah.

So, it's a proper worry.

I have seen the pattern. I have seen many such players. Who were teenage prodigies, did very well at age group cricket and then suddenly vanished. Like? Prithvi Shaw is an example.

He came back.

Yes, he just came back to Delhi Capitals. And he is one of those whom you expect so much from.

Do you think it's a good move?

Very difficult to say because Prithvi Shau's domestic numbers are still not good. Right? So, either they've seen something that we've not seen. Many players are called in trials. There are many teams before the auction, right after the season. Many players are called. So, it's possible that they've shown something there.

And I remember, because I was at the auction, I think it was a very late call. He took the ball in the second time in the accelerated round. When he was named for the first time, no one took the ball. He took the ball in the second time. So, I hope it is an informed call.

An informed call that leads to him playing in the first playing XI. But right now, the way the Delhi team in their place right now. First, starting in the Playing XI.

Okay.

Because they have KL Rahul. They play on top. They are top of the order players. KL Rahul, Ben Duckett, I think, left-hand, right-hand combination. They will open. Then there will be Purael. Then you have Akshar, Stubbs, Miller.

How do they play with each other. So I don't see him starting in the playing 11. But if he does well in the nets, it's a long season of IPL. You would hope, as I said, with some players, the way they play cricket, you want to see more. You want to see them improve.

What's the strength of Prithvi Shaw?

Plays along the ground. I mean, he takes shots and runs in risk-free cricket. He is not one of those who will take risks and take risks. Because he is so strong technically, you want to see more of him. But I really hope this season he comes along.

So, going back to the original question, Web of Suryavanshi.

Yeah.

Do you feel that this could be a problem?

It could be a fear. But since so many franchises missed the Web of Suryavanshi train, how many franchises in this IPL auction have spent money on so many uncapped players? Right? Because suddenly no one wants to miss the Web of Suryavanshi bus anymore. When every team will play twice. I think the season will be longer.

I think it will be after 1.5-2 years. I think the season will be longer. I think it will be after a year or two.

After the next season.

Yes, after the next season. Then you have to retain five and let go of the entire squad. It will be interesting. I don't think there will be a Baibhav Suryavanshi in those five. I think there will be. 100%. There is no way that any team will let Baibhav Suryavanshi go. He is a proper superstar. In the U19 World Cup final...

That hitting was crazy. But he just knows how to bat one way, right?

So, the one we were talking about, that he gets hungry.

I asked him, did you touch MS Dhoni's feet?

I would touch their feet. He's that. How sweet. Yeah, he's like that. He is like that. So, he sent that reel to his coach and he asked him, He did not realize what he had done. He said that reel to his coach and he asked him, that have we done something so good? He did not realise what he had done. He said, have we done so much that everyone is talking about us? He is that. But he is still very young. So, that helps.

There was one more player with him. Ayush Matre.

Yeah.

What do you think about him?

Very good player. Very good player. Actually, he didn't play that much in this U19 World Cup. But then, towards the end, in the semis and the final, he scored runs. And Chennai Super Kings are very hopeful of Ayush Matre. The way he is a batter, again, a level-headed Mumbai player. Coming through Mumbai's system is a bit difficult. Because there is so much competition.

So, to rise through Mumbai's system. He is also a very level-headed, very technically correct batter. He struggled a little in this U19 World Cup. Actually, in the build-up to the semi-final, he struggled a lot. But then he scored a run in the semi-final.

He was a little scratchy, but he scored a run in the semi-final. And that will hold him in good stead.

Talking about Rajasthan Royals, because we were talking about Baibov. He gave Sanju Samson to Riyan Parag and Jadheja to Lillian.

Jadheja and Samson. Jadheja and Sam Karan.

Yes.

Jadheja and Sam Karan.

Yeah.

And then, but the next captain...

Yeah.

Dev...

Is Riyan Parag. Is Riyan Parag. Yeah. Why do you think? I think the things that were in Riyan's favour were...

He has a lot of familiarity. And I think...

In the video that he uploaded about how we went about this process, he said, we spoke to all candidates. And Yashaswi was a candidate. But on the basis of communication, leadership experience, Rehan Parag was chosen. And I actually did a piece after that happened.

And I said, I hope that communication with Yashasvi is clear. I understand that... Because Yashasvi on the podcast said that he wants to be... Exactly. And I quoted your podcast. I quoted your podcast in my piece when I said, I heard him there and he said that he wants to lead.

So if he said this here, he must have been vocal with his team.

Absolutely.

I just hope that the team has kept the communication like that because Yashasvi, quite like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, quite like Rian Parag, is a future investment. He is a future India superstar. No one has any doubt about it. He is a gun T20 player, a gun test player. He can play all formats.

The way I spoke to him, he is very level-headed, very grounded, very focused. So I just hope that he communicated that, look, this is why Riyan is becoming the captain. You are also a high priority in our scheme of things. I just said that in my piece. But, yeah, I just hope that in my piece. But... I just hope that he...

He communicated well. He should not have felt at the end of it, that why didn't he make me? He had the answers. As long as he is there, I think the team should do well.

And then, what do you feel about Samson and Jadeja switch?

I think Chennai Super Kings... Chennai Super Kings wanted San about Samson and Jadeja switch? These approaches have been done long ago. Chennai Super Kings wanted Sanju Samson because I feel I just feel, have a feeling. But... was missing from that leadership group.

that CSK was so desperate for Sanju

because this will be MS's last.

So, they needed another...

The team that they run. Ritu is experienced, don't get me wrong. because Sanju started very young. Sanju is still 31. So, he has at least seven, eight, nine years of cricket left.

is a little difficult for them, right?

KKR is because of Shah Rukh.

then stardom is created, etc.

Yeah. And Dhoni. And you could see that Dhoni and Chennai was hand in hand. And if that stardom was phasing out,

you would have brought Samsung at that time. But now with Samsung, you would have brought end-to-end fandom.

India... One, Sanju Samson is a massive fan base. where I played for the first time in this World Cup, Sanju Samson. The moment Surya announced that Sanju comes in When he comes to bat, Sanju Samson... Fandom is crazy. And...

The story he is coming with... He was the backup opener. Two years passed and I was the to do this and that for the next T20 World Cup. Two years passed. India was an opener.

Because he did so well in Syed Mushtaq.

but he doesn't get a run. And he was like, I was broken. I had been working hard for two years.

It's not like two series before the World Cup. This is the series before the World Cup. My bat didn't work in that. And such is the ruthless nature of Indian cricket. Another person is sitting outside. If we don't score runs in three to four matches, someone else is sitting outside. And Ishan is sitting with the same quality.

Ishan came and he was like, I thought this is the end of my journey. I did everything, but... I didn't get what I planned. But what do you know, brother? What do you know? That's why I am a big believer that hard work doesn't go to waste. Whatever he did for two years, it was accumulating. Guess what?

Off-spinner, ploy, Abhishek, runs are not made. India are forced to bring a right-hander in. Sanju comes. He makes the run against Zimbabwe. Then the next three matches are virtual quarter-final, World Cup semi-final, World Cup final. He goes 97-89-89. Take that.

88, yes.

Yeah.

How can you script this? No one can do this. This was the compound interest of the accumulated hard work.

And the day you got the chance...

World Cup semi-final. World Cup virtual quarter-final. Because if India loses that match, it doesn't go to the semi-final. And the World Cup final. Did not put a foot wrong. Before that, Sanju Samson has made a lot of mistakes.

The world has been complaining about Sanju Samson. When will the big days come? When will the big stages come? And you know, what you love about him is, at least in the finals, and across, everywhere, that first he's playing fast,

then Abhishek is hitting, so he's making it. Then Ishaan is hitting, so again, he's like... He's got gears in his gears. Yeah, like when he has to go slow, he goes slow. When he has to go fast, he goes fast. He lets... If someone is hitting, he lets them hit.

He lets them hit. he is making it. If Ishan is coming and hitting, then again he is... He has got gears in his body. Yes. When he has to go slow, he goes slow. When he has to go fast, he goes fast. If someone is hitting, he doesn't let them hit. Like, very selfless playing. He could have easily waited and scored a 100. He is flying the ball in the air at 88 and doing it easily.

It's just very selfless. You could see him. In 1988, people used to say, I will make the final 100 in the World Cup. And now the team has... And the team's run was also increased. He could have played very slowly. And the opponent player was hitting.

He could have... That's not the DNA of this team. Kautam Mumbir said that. We don't play for that. that you have to out-bat, you have to dominate the opposing team. If there is an advantage in the game, then press it until the opposing team gives up and gives up. You can't win with this now.

And I will give you an example in this, not to bash anyone, but Sahibzada Farhan from Pakistan, I think he's the second highest scorer of the tournament. He was the highest at one point, went ahead of Virat Kohli. When he reached his 90s... He played for two centuries.

I am just forgetting the second century. I think it was against Sri Lanka. It was against Sri Lanka. He reached his 90s. He played well till 90. He scored the last 10 runs in 7 balls.

You know? He scored the last 10 runs in 7 balls. You know? He scored 10 runs in 7 balls. You could see. And in one game, the century he scored before that, you can hear it in the commentary. I think Irfan Bhai was on commentary. And he was shocked.

He was like, you have a slot ball and you are playing on the ground? In the last over, just because you want to reach to your century? That T20 cricket was lost. 3 years ago. Now, T20 cricket is not the same. Where there are 250 runs, every over, every gain, every run is important. You cannot milk seven balls for 10 runs

when you are the said batter. You are drawing momentum from yourself. You are giving the opposing team a chance to come into the game. This is the difference. This is the difference. And this is not again to bash Pakistan. This is the difference in the thought process of both the teams. That's why one team is here and the other is not.

What do you feel happened to the Pakistan team? Nothing happened. They just play outdated cricket. And they have this victim syndrome. I genuinely think this was their best chance. All the other teams had to travel to the World Cup.

India had to travel from place to place. You were in Colombo. You were in the same hotel. of You have made that city your home. You are playing on the same pitches. Colombo has two grounds. He played on both of them. You don't have to do anything. You are playing on the same pitches. The ball turns on those pitches.

You have five spinners in your playing area. Quality spinners. They are good spinners. Even after that, if you botch it up, who is at fault? It's you, right? A standard cricket. Like I said earlier, people thought I was trolling them. No, but...

You have made a very mediocre T20 player, Babar Azam, a superstar. He is not like that. He is a very mediocre T20 player. They say, the cards show. His cards show in front of the quality teams. He never played a bat and he will never play in T20 cricket.

And I am not a bat in T20 cricket. I am not a predictioner. But I can predict the cricket. If I had to, I would have played. I guess to either work very hard and change things. When you do that... There is a batter in number four who has a strike rate of less than 120.

Right? I think there was this one stat that whoever has played more than 500 balls in T20 cricket in the world in the last five years, I think at number four, Babars is the worst striker. Worst! So, he is showing that there is something wrong, but you are not ready to accept it.

Somebody from their team only, I mean, ex-player, World Cup winning player, he said that... He even called his board, the PCB, that don't compare Pakistan with India. Don't take the same level. Tell Pakistan to compare with Nepal and Canada.

I have been saying this for the past year, that they are now a tier 2 team. We have no competition with them. India's competition... You consider India's rivals, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England. Although they haven't played that well,

but Afghanistan has also played well., but Afghanistan is also good. West Indies are also decent. Not Pakistan. No way. No way. There is no comparison.

There is no comparison. I mean, there is a difference of the earth and the sky in the quality of cricket. Across formats. So, there is no equality.

True.

Talking about mindset. Abhishek Sharma, what do you feel? What happened?

No one can always be at the top of the hill. It's just a cycle you have to go through. Right? The greatest batter in the world, the great Sachin Tendulkar, no one has run more than him. Went through patches where no runs came. Okay? No one is more technically correct than him. No one is more more runs than him. He went through patches where no runs were scored. No one is more technically correct than him.

No one is more hardworking than him. No one is more ethical than him. No one is more disciplined than him. But if no runs were scored, then no runs were scored. It just so happened that Abhishek's cycle came in this World Cup. He was the number one T20 batter in this World Cup.

And number one by a distance. So much distance that even after going to the T20 World Cup, he is still the number one T20 batter. That was the difference in his rating points and I think the second was in his rating points. So that tells you how much he had dominated from behind. Making a run with a strike rate of 180 for 1.5 years in a row is not a joke.

Okay? Like we used to show a stat that he has a strike rate of 180. But when he plays against off-spin, his strike rate goes to 150. We used to say 150 is bad. 150 is a career for these guys. So, it is all to say... And because it was the World Cup, there were eyeballs and tension. Everyone said that he will break the World Cup.

He was breaking it. And it just so happened. He got stuck. And And you start making mistakes. And as I said...

You get it in your head also.

Right? And it is very human. What am I doing wrong? I am doing this. I shouldn't do this. Now, I get advice from outside. Someone is telling me to take time.

Someone is telling me to play like I am playing. You are getting stuck on the off-spoon. Your foot is a little crooked. Whatever. I don't know the technical aspect of it. Questions do come.

It just so happened. But he is a gifted player.

And that's why the talks that were going on in between... He is a slogger. A number one T20I batter cannot become a slogger for 1.5 years with a strike rate of 180. It's not possible. He was a slogger. So, it's...

He had kept it for the last two matches.

Because after dominating so badly in IPL, you could just pick him up faster? Yes, correct. Because where else can you play more pressure and quality bowling than that? Once someone is dominated so consistently... And then of course, the people who pick these players, whether they are selectors or team management coaches, they are very experienced cricketers. So they pick up small things that you and I cannot pick up from outside.

How is he playing in nets? How the ball is coming out of the bats, how the trigger movement is, how fast is the length, how fast is the hand, how fast is the bowling with the hand. So they must have seen all that. They must have seen the nuances, which is why he was fast track. So what's the story of Abhishek Sharma and Yuvraj Singh. I think Yuvvipaad, as far as I know,

he always wanted to groom these youngsters, and even if they were Shubman. Now, he grooms a lot of Punjab players. Shubman, Abhishek, I think Gurnoor, Brar, a lot of Punjab players whom he grooms. So they just were in his vicinity.

He picked them. And then he worked very hard with them. And of course, he is the great Yuvraj Singh. He takes someone in his wings. I am sure he would have told such things, whether it's a game or a mindset, that changes your game.

Right now, Rishabh Pant is practicing with Yuvraj Singh ahead of the IPL season in CCI Bombay.

Another player, Ishan Kishan. I'm excited to see his IPL now.

Yeah. He should break it. He did well in the last season. But he didn't make it. He should break it this time. He is in Abhishek's team, SRH. He will break it.

So, both of them will show what they did.

Both of them will show. But did. Both of them will show.

But he will bat at number three. He was number three in the Indian team.

So, Ishan was out for two years.

He was out for two years.

And he said somewhere that he was depressed.

He was. Because what happened was... He was in the 2023 Indian team World Cup. He was in the backups. He was a part of the squad but did not feature in the playing XI. And then he travelled with the Indian team for a long time but he was not getting a game.

And it can get frustrating. You go and play nets every day. In the nets, the first playing XI gets preference. And then you practice. It can get toll-taking. You are away from home, away from your family. You're constantly on the road.

You're not getting to play. There are questions, frustration. Then what will you do? How will you improve your game? The game doesn't improve by staying in the nets, which I've heard from all these players. The game improves by playing.

When you're in that situation, in that pressure, you play in those conditions. So, I think he asked for a mental health break. And the team management didn't like it. They were like, okay, you sit out for a bit. Mental health break? Interesting.

Yeah.

And he was like, I'm just tired. And the team management said, sit out for a bit. He sat out and he wasn't given a central contract. He wasn't given the central contract that BCC gives. And then he was asked to play domestic cricket. I think he missed some matches of domestic cricket.

And then he came to play domestic cricket. And then this resurgence started. He played a lot of runs in domestic cricket. Be it Vijay Hazare or Ranji Trophy or Jharkhand. I think the tipping point came in this Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The team had to be picked, but two days before that, it was the final of Syed Mushtaq. He won over Jharkhand by a century.

Sometimes, the team's doorbell rings and you go, take me, take me. He brought so many runs out of that door, the door broke. There was no chance that you wouldn't pick Ishan. And kudos to the Indian selectors. Whether it's Ajit Agarkar, Pragyan Ujjain or R.P. Singh. Selectors get a lot of criticism.

Why didn't you do this? Why didn't you do that? But bringing Ishan Kishan was a bold move. Because he was coming to the team instead of the team's vice captain Shubman Gill. That was a big call to make. If it had failed, if it backfired, if Ishan's runs, the public is after these selectors. They are abusing him. You are talking about him, you have made Shubman more popular.

Everyone talks about it. We also talk about it from outside that he has broken the confidence. Because it is easy to talk about it from outside. This is also true. We are not taking those decisions sitting there under that pressure. They are taking those decisions.

So, if they get the runs, man. You have to make a run in T20 cricket with an impact. Like I said, one big example is Sahibzada Farhan's run. But did it have an impact? If it had an impact, Pakistan would have been in the semis or the final. When did Sanju's run happen? How did it happen? In which pressure situation did it happen?

Ishan's run in a Syed Mushtaq final. Right? He played a very good game. He played a very good game. He played a very good game. He played a very good game. He played a very good game. He played a very good game. He played a very good game. He played a very good game. He played a very good game. He used to score a four in three balls. He didn't let the momentum die. The other team thought that they have a new batter.

We have three to four balls of breathing room. Let's set the field and increase the pressure. Let's see if we can get one more. That's the strategy. He didn't let us do it. He didn't let us do it. He just hits the ground running.

And there was also a bit of a problem So, it was just, I think it became easier for the selectors. Hardik Pandya and that deal.

Aura.

Yeah, yeah.

You saw?

I mean, everybody saw.

Yeah, yeah.

He bowls.

Yeah.

Saheb Zada Farhan. Yeah, yeah. That's what I'm saying. So, I actually did a content piece on it. He bowled a shot of a good length. Saheb Zada Farhan goes to the pole and the ball stands. Okay? Hardik being the bowler, he knows he has set the field.

But it is instinctive human reaction to look up. Where has the ball gone? Measure the trajectory. Will it go to my fielder? He just kept walking towards Saheb Zada Farhan. Just staring at him. Because why do you and I look up?

Thinking, what if the catch is missed? Is it going near the fielder or not? Is it going out of the infield? Is it going out of the 38 circle? I don't think Hardik Pandya has a single negative bone in his body. He was moving forward thinking that he is out. Go back.

You won't miss. You hit the catch on my ball, you won't miss. He won't miss a catch on my ball. Of course, it's a matter of chance. He would have missed. The ball was under his ring. He would have missed. He would have done anything. But I am saying it's just the mindset of Hardik Pandya that he won't do anything wrong with me. He won't.

I have hit a good ball. You have lifted the ball. My fielder is under the ball. It's... Imagine the level of mental strength, the level of self-confidence. And no one brings it here. And on top of that, it's made here. He made it.

And on that... Not every ball he does that, right?

No, no.

On that ball, on that wicket...

It's just...

As if he knew that he's throwing the ball that will get out.

That's what I'm saying.

It's a belief. And I said, no, it's made up. I want to copy him, but I can't.

What makes him different? What makes Hardik Pandey?

One, the skills and abilities he has, as I said, no one in the world has that. No one in the world has that. The player with that skill set is not in any format. He can bowl a 140-run ball and bat with a strike rate of 150. He can bat anywhere. He can bat on 4 or 6 or 7. He can finish as well.

He can play a little stopping game. There is no such thing. Plus, he is so athletic as a fielder. So, there is no one like him. Also, what makes him different is his mind. He has built that.

He has built his muscles, his body, his mind, his character, his attitude. He has made it possible. He has also said, I will win a lot of trophies. He actually... I am taking credit for what I said. But actually, I was the first person he said this to. I met him after the T20 World Cup in Barbados in 2024. The team was partying and they were kind enough to let us in.

I met him there and we were just talking. And he's like, I will win five or six more like this. I will win. I know I will win. It's just that. Look at him. He told me, he's like, I will win five or six IPLs. I will win. I will win a lot of trophies.

It's not even that late. But why can't Mumbai Indians will be the team to beat.

Really?

Yeah. They've just assembled a very... Firstly, it's been a long time since Mumbai Indians have won a title. And secondly, there is a way for Mumbai Indians to play. They like a pattern. They like a set standard in their playing level.

This player here, this player here, this player here. For the past few years, they were looking for that combination, a pattern. They like a set standard in their playing level.

This player here, this player here, this player here. For the past few years, they were looking for that combination, that pattern. In this auction and this trade cycle, they have found that pattern.

Tell me, why is there such a narrative in IPL that IPL gets fixed? Have you heard this narrative?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And every year...

I'm telling you the final news today.

Punjab will win. Delhi will lose.

They make it seem like we have brought a lot of information. It's not true. Anyone who has played any sport knows you cannot script a sport. You cannot. Spot fixing incidents were there before. But I think now the anti-corruption has become very strong.

There is so much money in the game legally. Why would you want to venture outside? I think it's just a conspiracy theories that come with every season. Now, because it's Instagram, every person and there are two people in it, so people

share it and give it engagement. But it's a probability game. It's 50-50. Only one team will win. So your chances of getting it right is one in two. So, it's just that. It's needless.

You don't feel it.

No, I don't feel it. There is nothing. Absolutely zero. No, no, no. The anti-corruption is very strong. The players have a lot of money. Also, the players know what repercussions are. What happens after that.

The ones who are trapped, whether it's the players, the life outside and after cricket. It's so bad. I think it's the detriment and the precedent. There are so many good sets. I don't think... The whole match fixing was in the 90s. When 7-8-10 players were together in a team.

Nothing like that now.

A lot of people write about owners. And I am like...

Do you see owners who they are? That's it. Just look at it once. Google it. How much net worth do they have?

Why would they?

For them, 2 crores is not even a rounding off error. Right? I mean, it's a big deal for all of us. 2 crores. But for them, they're multi-billionaires. Millionaires.

For them, it's a crown jewel. Yes, it's a very prestigious thing. It's a prestige value. They won't even touch it.

You are putting a lot of taint on it.

It won't happen. It's like that. It's like a museum jewel that they would want to protect. You did a piece that was really good. After Shreyas Iyer, Punjab. Do you think Punjab's value has increased a lot after Shreyas Iyer?

I think... And I said this last season and I'm saying it again this season. The team that Shreyas Iyer has touched in the last six years has become a team of gold. From 2019 to 2025, I think Shreyas Iyer has taken more teams to the playoffs and finals than any other captain in the IPL.

Between 2019-2026. Be it with Delhi when he was in Delhi or be it with Punjab. He's just that kind of a captain. He doesn't talk much. Last season, he played such great cricket. He patted so well. I mean, beating the Mumbai Indians in the playoffs

is a big match temperament for the Mumbai Indians. Because I had broken that kind of team in their DNA. I was at the ground. And he just batted like he was possessed. Like, I don't want to lose today. I don't want to lose today.

Alone, with my own bat, on my own. He has that quality. And he has worked on it. He had shortcomings in his game. He used to get caught on small balls. He hit the small ball by climbing forward and also from the back foot.

So, he showed that he knew what his weaknesses were. And he has worked on it. Plus, of course, the captain that he is.

But because of good play, do you think that's the only reason he's been able to make Punjab more valuable? Because what I saw, overall love for Punjab increased. This was not the case in the other teams when they were there.

Yeah, yeah. I think... All the team's fans are very passionate. But I think the passionate fans of Punjab were waiting. Because it hadn't happened. The Punjab team, for a long time... Before every auction, they used to change the team.

They would make a new team. Now they have that stability. They can see that they can also trust in it. And you're right. The fan base last season, the way Punjab's fan base has grown,

it is so good to see. Because you need a fan base of three or four teams in IPL. Every team should have a fanbase that is... ...that is a little toxic online. But I think it's okay. It's just... It happens in every sporting league.

Look at the Premier League. Their fans keep fighting with each other in India. You are from Arsenal, we are from Liverpool. It's good. That is how you build a sporting culture. And I think, yeah, after Shreyas came, because of the team's performance,

that fan base has found its voice since last season.

How do you feel Mumbai Indians have groomed Tilak? Was there any impact?

Just, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Find and bring him. And Mumbai Indians do this. They did this with Surya as well. When Surya came to Indians came to KKR, he said, open the game. It's your responsibility. It's a very responsible position to open.

Go open for us. You have our trust. You have our faith. We know you can do it. Go open. Same with Tilak.

He played him between the big boys. Tilak is a very young player. He played him with Rohit, with Hardik. Go. You have trust in you. Play in the middle order. Let's see what happens. Bumrah, Hardik, same stories. Find him, groom him. Have faith in his preparations and say, go play.

Go play. Tell Hardik, go. You'll be a finisher. Tell Bumrah, you'll start in our playing 11. Go play. That is how you build players. Why is he the kind of player which he is? What's special in him? Dilak? He is one built very strong.

He is a strong player. He is very powerful. I think in this T20 World Cup, I don't remember which game, but he had hit a shot through covers. Flat six. It is never easy.

Playing across the line. It's a little easier to generate power across the line. This has to be all timing. If you have power on that timing, then the ball travels. He shows that he is very strong. He is a good hitter.

He is athletic, solid fielder. Also, good head. Pakistan against Asia Cup final. India was stuck. He is still very young. But I think that confidence is in the entire Indian T20 team.

They are like, any of us can win. I think, from this season, the flavor of the IPL will be... Which team will find and bring in the young Indian talent. Scouting will be so important in the next two to three years. Every team will have a race. Where should we bring the next Vaibhav Suryawan?

Where should we bring the next Kartik Sharma or Prashant Veer? Where should we bring the next Mangesh Yadav in the RCB? Mukul Chaudhary is a left-arm pacer. There is a wicket-keeper batter from Rajasthan with LSG. Because if you look at the stats, they've played six or seven T20s. But at least one of their scouts has seen something like this. Right? And he said, take this.

Akib Nabi is a pacer from Delhi. He's in Delhi. He's a pacer from Jammu Kashmir. What a story, brother.

What is it?

Ranji Trophy season. In the last two years, more than 100 wickets in two Ranji Trophy seasons. He is from Baramulla, Kashmir. He was late. He kept thinking, is there any time? Everyone is playing, I'm not playing. But he just kept at it, kept practicing. 100 wickets in two Ranji Trophy seasons. This season, this is the story of Jammu and Kashmir. You expect the cricket team to be the last thing from Jammu and Kashmir.

Even if they play, sometimes the names come up,, you know what they are going to do. Chamund Kashmir has defeated MP in MP, Bengal in Bengal, Rajasthan, Delhi in Delhi, Karnataka in Karnataka. These are the powerhouses of Indian cricket. These are the big boys of Indian cricket. They are the powerhouses of Indian cricket. They are the big boys of Indian cricket. And this season, Jammu and Kashmir has put their eyes on these big boys and said, put a chair on this table for us.

We will sit here. 67 years they've waited. Harsh weather conditions are not easy. We all know what the security conditions are like. Curfews can happen at any time. From there, the players like Aqib Nabi's arrival... I will tell all the people listening to this, look at Aqib Nabi's spells. I think he took 12 wickets in the quarter-final,

9 in the semi-final, and 5 in the final. I remember he took 5 in the final. I think I'm interchanging 12 and 9. He was taking wickets in a rush. There was a pitch that was a mess. Nothing was happening on that pitch. He would turn the ball around in that pitch.

I don't know how. His fielding coach actually said, Akib, we are indebted to you. When we want wickets, you get us wickets. He bowled Karun Nair in the final. Amazing, man. Squared him up.

Flat pitch. Five or six runs are made on it. He is a fat pitch, he can score 500 runs. He comes in and just leaves him a little bit and he gets squared up and bowled. Class. I just love these stories. And I am so looking forward to watching Akib Nand bowl for Delhi Capitals. So, I am saying this.

In the next two to three years, every team will say, where did we get this new Indian talent from? And this young Indian talent, like it used to be before IPL started. The USP of the IPL was that a young Indian boy will get a chance to play with the stars of South Africa.

Now South Africans, Australians will queue up and say, we want to play with Indian talent. Our cricket has reached that level. And we'll see this in the next two, three years.

What do you feel is special about Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer? Because you're talking about special young players.

Big hitters. Kartik Sharma, like he's 20. And he's so strong. He hits such long sixes. I've seen his videos. Same with Prashant Veer. Prashant Veer actually is a like for like for Ravindra Jadeja. He also does left arm spin. He also hits sixes well. He is very strong. I saw him in UP T20. Good. Both of them. Big hitters.

He has a lot of power hitting. And actually, in all of them, the Lucknow Supergiants... Mukul Chaudhary, I think he is the wicket-keeper of Rajasthan. He also hits long sixes. He hits long sixes. You are excited to watch it. Yeah, yeah. We talked about Priyansh Arya last season. I think I talked to you and he put up a century the day that episode aired.

So, it's just like that.

So, tell me three underrated players for this IPL season.

Akib Nabi. He's not underrated because he has won many wickets. But we'll see him for the first time for Delhi Capitals. Akib Nabi. Karthik is actually injured now. I hope he gets fit by that season. Sunrisers Hyderabad has a player, Smaran Ravi Chandran.

Very good. Very good.

Big hitter.

Why?

Big hitter. Again, he's very strong. These are fearless batters. They don't care about the stage or occasion. Anyone in front of them will hit them if they are in their parlor. He's got pace as well. Mukul Chaudhary, I named him for Lucknow Supergiants. Mangesh Yadav, left arm pacer in RCB. Again, very quick. Ashok Sharma, for Gujarat Titans, a great player.

He's a great player. He's a great player. He's a great player. He's a great player. for this. Mangesh Yadav, left arm pacer in RCB. Again, very quick. Ashok Sharma, for Gujarat Titans, a pacer. Again, he puts around 140. He puts very good lines. So, I'm actually looking forward to a lot of these bowlers. Akib Nabi.

What do you feel about Mayank Yadav?

Express, man. He's such a rare commodity that everyone started talking about him. Take him to Australia, get him tested, do this, do that. But fast bowling is such a skill that has a lot of toll on the body. And he has been through so many injuries. I am so happy. I spoke to him a while back.

I am happy that now he's bowling full tilt. He's gotten stronger. I've heard that. Because earlier, there were areas of his body where he was not very strong. Now he's gotten stronger and he's retained the pace. The biggest downfall is that a pacer comes and puts in 150.

Then as soon as he's injured, his pace goes down. That hasn't happened. And you would hope that this season he'll do well because he's express.

We were talking about this, the rate teams.

Yeah.

Rate, we'll talk about it. What are you looking forward to and why? And a story behind.

Okay, done. Let's start with RCB.

Okay, RCB.

Because RCB, before even we talk about them, one of the most beautiful things were...

Like that is what you associate him with, Virat Kohli.

And you saw him crying. And it just feels so nice. Because I was standing right behind AB de Villiers on the boundary line.

And there is something about watching grown men cry. And AB was crying here.

He doesn't even play for RCB anymore. And the moment they won, he just ran out. He opened the LED wall on the boundary and ran to meet him. So it's just that. RCB are again a very good team because nothing has changed since last season. If there is any concern with RCB, it could be their injuries. Josh Hazlewood is a very important player. Last season, RCB's RCB bowling tournament. Yash Dayal, I'm not very certain if he will play or not.

Mangesh will replace him. It will be Mangesh's first season. Hazlewood is coming from an injury. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a year older. Will he be the same as last year's bowler? Still a very solid team.

You would still back them to make it to the playoffs. But there were some injury concerns and some form concerns. But it's good that Venky Iyer is back. Best friends, Rajat Patidar, Venky Iyer. Together, the middle order has become stronger. Both of them are from Indore.

Together.

Last time we spoke, we wanted RCB to win because they are leading the Indore captains. What a story for Rajat. He came for injury replacement. And I actually met him after this podcast. I went and interviewed him. And he was like...

When I got the name for the first time, I didn't want to come. I knew they will make me sit outside. I don't want to sit outside. My family said, no, no, go. Wow. Injury replacement plays, scores a century. I think against LSG only.

Scores a century. Becomes a captain.

From there, captain.

The first season, final, win.

So many RCB captains used to dream about this every season. Once he said, this cup is ours. He did it in the first season. What a story.

And there's another player, Bethel.

Jacob Bethel is...

Lethal.

He saw what everyone did. No, no. Anyway, the English people trust him so much that he didn't even let him play first class cricket much. He just fast-tracked him in Test cricket. And he showed why. He is a special generational talent. Jacob Bethel.

Default Brevis is another South African player. He is in Chennai Super Kings. He is also a generational talent. He is a very talented player. Which team do you feel should win on paper? Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians.

What has changed since last season?

They brought in Shauvin Rutherford, they needed an all-rounder finisher from Gujarat Titans. They brought in Shardul Thakur and Quintin De Kock. They really like Quintin De Kock. Teams are set up like this. So, they got set up like this. So...

I mean, of course, all the star players are there. Hardik, Rohit, Surya, Bumrah, Tilak. Add Shafin Rutherford to that. So, on paper, Mumbai Indians, they are very strong this season. Okay. Next, who do you think...

Who do you think have the highest chances of winning this year?

I mean, on paper, just out of gut, hunger. Punjab would be hurting after last season.

But their domestic talent pool, Prabh Upar, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer... They are a good team. Punjab will be very hungry. Punjab will perhaps be hungrier than all of them. Because last season they were so close.

And after so many years, they have come up. So, they will maintain that. Ricky Ponting is still there? Ricky Ponting is still there. He said at the start of the season, watch out for Punjab.

Yeah.

But every season is different. We are entering the zone of the players. All that will happen. But yeah, Punjab will be hungry. Very hungry.

Okay, rate of Punjab out of 10?

It's a tough question.

8?

You don't know?

Okay. And I think that's the reason why we are so successful. And I think that's the reason why we are so successful. And I think that's the reason why we are so successful. And I think that's the reason why we are so successful.

And I think that's the reason why we are so successful.

And I think that's the reason why we are so successful. It's very tricky to say lowest chances. But because of the Sunrisers, Hyderabad's bowling is very thin on paper. Unless they can, like Kranz-Fuletra is a great left arm wrist spinner, but he hasn't played that much cricket. In batting, they're stagged. I mean, they're a team that can make 300.

But in bowling, you've got Harshal Patel, Jai Dev Varnath, Pat Cummins, suffering from an injury. I think bowling will be a worry for SRH.

To give them score.

SRH fans will beat me up.

But six.

What a fun!

It's just because of the bowling. The batting is amazing. And maybe the bowling just turns up and proves all of us wrong. It's possible. Like in the first season, someone said, what team will Gujarat Titans make? And they won. Yeah. Right? So, anything can happen in the IPL.

But on paper, they just seem...

What do you feel about Gujarat Titans this year?

Very balanced. Again, they also have a formula. Ashupa has a formula. And he plays by that formula. Dev...

They are unique.

Okay, let's do this better. Gujarat's strength, weakness, and play. Gujarat's strength, top three, weakness, the fact that sometimes they make top three so many runs that the middlemen don't bat. Finishers, whether they are Shahrukh or Tevati, Gujarat has a lot of faith in them. But year on year, those performances don't come.

So batting starts very well. Finishes not so well. Can they change that this year? Will be something that... Finish well. Even if the run is good from the top,

the base is good, but the finish is good.

Because the batting doesn't come in the middle. The top players keep playing.

That's what I'm saying. But the day it doesn't happen, and it happens that the top three will fail, then we get stuck. They've got Glenn Phillips play in the middle order. They are looking at him as a batter. So, the score of GT? Rating?

Seven and a half.

Because there are no bowlers.

There are no finishing batters. There are bowlers.

Okay.

There are no mid-orders.

Yeah.

There are no SRH bowlers. LSG?

If that bowling lineup is fit... And I have told this to a lot of people, that's a very good bowling lineup, but if they're fit, then? Mohsin left arm pace, very good. Mayank pace, very good. Shami, is Shami, right? If these three are fit, that is your all India pace attack.

Then Digvesh Rathi's spin, right? So they've got bases covered in that domestic bowling lineup. They've brought in Hasaranga, but I think Digvesh Rati will play ahead of Hasaranga. The bowling is all India. The batting is largely all overseas. There's Rishabh Pant, Badoni, but the firepower comes from Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Puran, Aiden Markram. All three are great batters. So, it can actually be that Puri largely overseas batting or largely Indian bowling. If they play to potential, they've got a great chance to qualify.

And then from there, it becomes a thing of how you play on the day. But for that, bowlers have to fit. Mohsin is injury prone. Shammi is injury prone. Mayank is coming off an injury. That's the only worry.

That is the only worry. Otherwise, as I said, I've said this before, LSD don't get credit for scouting. Digvesh Rati is their scout. He scouted Mayank. He gave Mohsin a chance. They have the... They should do well. If everyone stays fit, they should do well.

Give them a score?

Seven and a half again. Just because of the fitness concerns around the team. What do you feel about Rishabh? As a batter, one of the most explosive. We have not seen the best of him. And you will hope that he will do his best this season. Because he will be hungry too.

Out of the Indian White Balls set-up. They want to improve that too. There is no better stage than IPL. I would like to see him batting higher just as a fan of Rishabh Pant and Lucknow Supergiants. I would like to see him batting a little higher. Then KKR. KKR are in a little bit of trouble.

Why?

Mustafizur is not there. Pathirana is injured. Actually, in batting, they have taken both Tim Syfert and Finn Allen. Both are New Zealand's openers. They are very good. The batting is amazing.

Bowling question marks. If the captain makes Ajinkya Rahane, does it make him a replacement for Ajinkya Rahane in the playing 11? No, because the way Ajinkya Rahane plays 20 cricket, he doesn't play competitive cricket much. What form does he come in? If he's your captain, he'll play.

If he plays, where will you make him play? Are you then force fitting him? KKR has a lot in this auction. And after Bajaj, all the options in the mini auction, you have fewer choices. So they did it, but KKR has a lot of problems. This season, it'll be tricky. It'll be tricky.

It's not looking very strong for them.

Yeah, and as I said, things can change. Maybe they just turn up and...

Break it.

Yeah, blow everyone out of the water, but chances are less. What score? Six again.

Okay.

SRH and KKRR are still two. Then is RR.

RR is actually balanced. They have brought in Ravindra Jadeja. Ravi Vishnoy is in the spin. Last season, RR was games, 11 runs or less. That means he was getting close to the goal, but he wasn't able to close the game. I will be very interested to see how he tackles that.

Because he has a lot of batting experience. He has a lot of experience. He has a lot of experience. He has a lot of experience. He has a lot of experience. He has a lot of experience. He has a lot of experience. Vaibhav is with him. Riyan Parag is with him. Now, Jaddu is here. I think Jaddu will bat in the middle order. Four, five. Hetmaier is here. Can you get Hetmaier to play at three and Riyan to play at five? There are all those combinations.

Donovan Ferreira is here. He has a good South African batter. Downstairs, Jofra Archer and Andre Berger. Two good bowlers. They are balanced. Just to close out games, is there as much firepower as there is in 6-7-8? We'll have to see. Can Sam Curran do that much? Can he do that much in every game? And what will be the overseas combination that he will play?

Okay. Score?

Seven.

Okay. Seven.

Then DC.

Again, very balanced. I actually like DC's squad. They have brought in Ben Ducat. They have A in Ben Ducat, Akshar, Stubbs and Miller, who are very good batters. I am very excited to see Aqib Nabi in bowling. Kuldeep is there. I think firepower is something again that they will also look at because Miller is there

in the team. Ashutosh is a very good batter. They will depend on Ashutosh's firepower again. This is a balanced team. They were balanced last season as well. They won four matches but then lost their way.

So, that is the problem with the Delhi Capitals. The team was not bad last season and it is not bad this season. They should not lose the way.

What is it?

Seven and a half.

Okay. Then, CSK.

CSK has changed the script. CSK has changed the entire script. The team ran after experience. Now suddenly, so much investment in just the youth. They brought in Kartik and Prashant. They brought in so much money, they will feed them.

Kartik and Prashant, Ayush Matre, Default, Previs. I think the average age of this team is the lowest. Sanju Samson is just 31. Rituraj Gaikwad. So suddenly it's looking like a completely different team. Which means, you can go either way.

Either they will do wonders, or there will be problems. How do they use MS Dhoni? How much do they play this season? I mean, he only keeps. So will they play like an impact player or not?

they want Sanju Samson now behind the wickets and not MS.

Yeah. One player, which I feel, in this World Cup, he didn't get the talk he deserved. That is Akshar Patel.

Yeah. Correct.

Like, even in finals, definitely there's all the great bowlers. There's Bumrah, there's everybody. Not just Akshar, there's someone else.

No.

Because the time when he needed a wicket, the crucial wickets, the important low-kick wickets of Akshar Patel.

Catches, Akshar Patel caught them.

World catches, man.

He's a gun fielder. And it's not just about here. Against Australia, in 2024, in the T20 World Cup, I was in St. Lucia. Mitchell Marsh was taking that game away from India. He picks him up and hits him on the deep square leg. He catches the catch with one hand. With one hand. And his wrong hand, right hand. He catches the catch. He's a gun fielder.

And you're right, he's not that good. But he's the backbone of that Indian lineup. Because he also does quite like Hardik. He's the vice captain of the bat, ball, and field team. And he's just very de the radar player. Like, there are some characters who write their work quietly.

They write important wickets.

They do their work quietly. It's not very flashy, loud out there.

This is like end-to-end IPL players. Yeah. Which IPL player or team do you feel has has stolen a player in... Like, it was a very underrated pick. People were sleeping on it.

RCB and Virat is one. What happened? After the U19 World Cup, there was a draft. Every team had a chance to pick a player. Delhi picked Pradeep Sangwan, not Virat Kohli. Because they wanted a bowler. RCB picked Virat Kohli. And I think there are many like this.

Roy Sharma's move from Deccan Chargers to Mumbai Indians.

Dhoni.

In MS Dhoni, Mumbai Indians had no money left. That's why in the auction. Because every team had an icon player. Mumbai had Sachin. Sachin was there.%. And I was like, oh, my god. I'm going to lose. I'm going to lose.

I'm going to lose. I'm going to lose. So Sachin Tendulkar would have to pay 15% more than this bid. And they would have run out of money. Chennai was just sitting there waiting for the math to kick in. And they bid for Dhoni, and Dhoni came to Chennai. He came to Chennai just because of math, nothing else.

And someone else?

Mumbai wanted him. There was a bidding war, but Chennai knew that the time would come. The math would kick in. She has to give 15% more to Sachin. We don't have an icon player, we don't have to give. She didn't give him an icon player? No, she didn't choose an icon player.

Tell me, Zeebhawbe kicked Australia out.

Why and how?

I think some Australian teams switch on and come. Then there is one version within Australia also that just switches off.

It's like, who cares?

And it's very rare. And it's so... And it's so strange because you never associate with Australians. You associate with Australians. They will save every run in the field. They will try to score three runs where there are two.

They won't give an inch with the ball. They will be very disciplined. They won't give a single inch with the ball. They will be very disciplined. They won't give wide no-ball. But this is also the side of the Australian teams. They just let it be. This wasn't the best Australian team. Hazlewood was injured. Pat Cummins was injured.

But I still think in batting, they were the names, the people... ...who are feared of the Travis. I think Mitchell Marsh was injured for this game. But Mitchell Marsh was in the tournament. The fact that he couldn't reach the semis... ...was a big worry.

He couldn't reach the Super 8s. But Australia had batting in this tournament. So, there can be only one reason. They were not switched on. They didn't have the mindset to win. And you know, they were not just on the field.

I don't think there was any touring journalist from Australia. It's a multi-sport country, Australia. So, they were focused on the Winter Olympics. Their Australian footy had just ended. Cricket is a third sport. They love their footy, number one.

Seasonal cricket. They have it in the summers, November, December. They love it. They come and watch cricket. And then they move on to the other stuff. So I don't think they were very, as a nation,

they were very switched on. They were like, OK. Really? Yeah. Really? You can go on Twitter and read. I think Melinda Farrell tweeted this, if I'm not wrong. That there is no big hype here. Only the media team that goes with Cricket Australia has gone.

Usually, like the Indian team goes, if you go to the West Indies, there are 30-40 journalists. There are digital outlets, print media, electronic media. Press conference rooms are always full. Even from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, there are a few names from South Africa that you hear every time.

There is Telfer Advisor Cake. There are teams from England, like the whole team from Sky, Nasser, Athers. They not only do commentary, but also write columns for the papers. But there was no touring journalist from Australia this time.

It was one of them. But you don't take away anything from Zimbabwe. They played very good cricket. They were very spirited. There's a bowler named Blessing Muzarbani. I'm hoping to see him in the IPL. Richard Enger is a left arm pacer.

It was just a very good day for Zimbabwe. Also, Australia was switched off.

But if you look at Australia's behavior, they are like this even when they win. It's not a very... Like when you see...

No, no.

Even after winning, if you remember, we lost badly. Like the finals of the World Cup.

November 2020. So, in that World Cup, we were very sad, right? The whole nation was very sad about losing. Even after winning, they didn't care about the trophy. So, it's not a...

So, that's all. If they win or lose, this attitude is always there. Why this has affected them? But, winning or losing, the attitude is the same. It is after the result. When they play the game, they give 110%.

The extra 10% they give. You talked about the game on 19th November. There was no misfield that evening. In the field, they were switched on. Rohit Sharma's wicket was the most important that evening. That day actually. Because the way they were giving a start in powerplay, if he had given India a good start,

we would have got that platform. India would have scored 60-70-80 runs more than India. India, the result could have been very different. Travis Head caught his catch. I don't know if you remember or not. While running backwards, and I was in Ahmedabad,

none of us thought that he would catch it in the commentary box. You see the trajectory of the ball. You see the fielder. The fielder is very far. The ball is going forward. And he has to run backwards. The ball is coming from above his shoulder. He is running. He has to judge where the ball is going. With the wind. Timed the dive perfectly. And he did all that and caught the catch.

That day, Australia had decided that they won't give extra runs in the field. Let them work hard and score runs. I'm saying, that's not what we saw against Zimbabwe. On the field. A switched on Australian team is very different. You can understand that by looking at them. The way they jump and run.

Bowling was weak.

100%. Marcus Stoinis is a very good all-rounder. But he's not a first-change new-ball bowler. If he's bowling in the powerplay, then you can tell the story. You can tell if there were no people. And Australia, quite like New Zealand,

they also have a problem that there is not a large population. And even in that population, not many people play cricket. Australia's system is still good. But New Zealand, who came in the final, you will see the same names playing in all formats.

All play cricket. League cricket all play the world's top cricket teams. It's just that cricket is not as massive. We see it from our world view. Cricket is very massive for us. We can actually make three T20 teams.

Players like Keshav Swi, Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer were sitting outside the T20 World Cup teams. Shubman was sitting outside. Right? But it's not the same for the rest. The talent pool is much smaller. As soon as two key players get injured,

suddenly all the plans go in a different direction. I think that was a big worry and a big reason why Australia went out of the group stage.

It's like the NFL in the US. It's just a cricket match for us.

Correct. It's relevant for the people there. No, it's not like that. It's relevant relevant for us. But let's say NBA. Yes. Globally, there is basketball.

There is in Europe too. But not like...

But not like that.

Not like the US.

Yeah. Like the French also play good basketball. Quite like the Aussies play good basketball. But our passion and just our passion for it and the money here, the market here is...

Yes, same NBA story.

Yes, similar.

Pretty similar. Who's the best player in the world? Like LeBron James, Steven. Because he's from the US. So, our best cricketer is from the US. Because it's a much bigger... Do you feel that because of this now, we didn't get the same feeling when we won the World Cup? Like, every time we are excited, passionate, wild.

Last time we were hungry.

We are winning back to back.

What's your favorite food? What's your favorite food?

Anything.

Anything. I like a lot of things.

Like Rasmalai.

I like Rasmalai a lot. If I'm really hungry and I haven't eaten anything sweet for a long time, then that Rasmalai will taste different. And then I'm full. I just had it's just a smell. So, when we won in 2024, it was a very old hunger.

In 2013, we won the last ICC trophy. That was also a Champions Trophy. We won the World Cup in 2011. After that, we lost in the final in 2014. In 2016, we won the semifinal of T20 World Cup. In 2019, we won the semifinal of T20 World Cup in 2016. We lost in the semifinal of ODI World Cup in 2019.

In 2021, we were eliminated from the group stage of T20 World Cup. In 2022, we were eliminated from the semifinal. In 2023, we were eliminated from the ODI World Cup. It was almost like you are reaching the final but you are not able to eat. We were so hungry. And because you knew that you had a team. It's a world-beating team. They used to play to semis and you couldn't make a mistake.

You couldn't decide who was better. And then suddenly, we would lose in the last round. We needed 30-30 in Barbados. We were standing near the boundary line. Suri Kumar used to come and catch us. He used to do commentary, all of that.

He was hungry that day. Gautam Kabir became the head coach, a new team was formed. 84% means he has won 8.5 matches in 10 matches. That is ridiculous. So, it's a news to them that they lost. You expect... You cannot expect anything less than a trophy.

They dropped a game against South Africa. But apart from that, in the semi-final, They said that South Africa was a better team. It's just Indians had something where

two players will always outshine the entire team.

I disagree with this. Before this World Cup, it was a big deal.

Because he used to make so many runs.

And it was so unfortunate that he didn't score in the beginning. But despite that, Indian batting kept looking for ways to score. And scored.

And scored, right? Even though Shivam Dubey, who is not so popular, is a very unsung hero of this Indian team. He scored on number 4, 5, 6, and 7. He was told to go to number 4, attack the spinners and play. He was told to score as many runs as you can.

In those 6 minutes, he gave you 20-25 runs. Then there was Tela Korma. He made runs very fast when needed. If Suri Kumar Yadav hadn't played that inning against USA in the first match, the story would have been very different for India.

There would have been a lot of pressure because India would have lost that match to USA If Surya hadn't been knocked out. Ishan Kishan, against Pakistan, a pitch where the ball was spinning so much, he came out at 77. I think India's score was 85 or 87 or 90. I'm not remembering correctly. But 90 teams made the total.

77 were his. 13 were made by the batter. He said from one end, my bat is working today, stay there.

Don't come here.

It was a team like that. I don't think it was dependent on one or two players. Which is why you see top-run scorers... Usually, the team that wins is the top-run scorer. The top-run scorer is the top-run player. The top-run player is the top-run player in the top-run ticker. What's your opinion on Surya Kumar Yadav? The captain brilliant, took some amazing tactical calls.

He didn't get as many runs from the batsman, but he didn't need as many runs from the batsman. I keep telling everyone, a lot of people tell me in the comment section that Surya's guns didn't do anything. The day India needed Surya's batsman, the day, in this tournament, he gave us a run. Apart from that, someone else came and scored a run for India. Does that absolve him of the fact that he could have scored more? No. But you, me, and those who are listening to us...

Surya Kumar Yadav must be wanting to score more runs than all of us. No one wants to score more runs than him. I am the captain of the Indian team. It's the nature of sport. It's the nature of what we do. We sit down every day. Words don't come out as good as they do. He goes every day. He doesn't make a run from the bat. In the final, the shot he went for was 5 yards away from the fielder.

He would have gone for a six. It went into the hand of the fielder. We are not getting runs, but does it matter if we don't get runs? No. Until we don't get runs...

Ponting XI was the aura of the Australian team.

why don't they get that much credit? And people are questioning. I was reading comments in this too. People are talking about someone's batting, someone's bowling, someone's something else. No one is talking about them.

And they are saying the opposite. Why do you think people do that?

First of all, I think captainship is a very intangible thing. You see someone batting, bowling, catching the catch in the field, running out, diving and stopping the ball, you see that too. Captain is largely invisible unless he does this on the field a few times. You don't know which fielder is moving, whose angle is shifting so much

because he saw the ball moving and he thought that the cut shot is not playing straight in front of square, it's playing a little behind. So, I should move the fielder back. No one sees these nuances. But the fact that India has won so many games under their captaincy, it means that they are doing something right.

Whether it's bowling changes, when to bring which bowler, what kind of field he has to give. It's true that the team they have got is amazing. What will anyone teach Chaspreet Dhumra? I had gone to interview the Indian team before the tournament. I was in the interview. I was in the interview.

I was in the interview. I was in the interview. We don't see it. No one from the team knows what the atmosphere is like. I had gone to interview the Indian team before the tournament. And you could just sense... What is the atmosphere in a hostel room? What is the atmosphere in a hostel room for guys?

Everyone is having fun. Someone is talking here, someone is talking there. Someone said something to him. It was like that. It was like that. And the captain has a huge role in that. To build that culture, to build that atmosphere.

Him alongside the head coach, I think. So, those are intangibles. They are not visible outside. They are not visible. It's very difficult to manage a team of stars. I'm pretty sure. It happens.

Because... to manage a team of stars. I'm pretty sure. It happens.

Because this...

My point is, how do you think Surya Kumar Yadav becomes the captain of such a team where all the stars are individuals. I'm not taking away anything from any other captain in the world. I'm just saying that when we won the World Cup in 2007, T20, first time,

then our team was... People can say that we were superstars. But we didn't have the stardom.

Not at all. Not every player was an individual star.

Because there was no IPL.

Not at all. Correct.

Not every player made so much money. So many ads, brand value... So much attention. Instagram, attention, Instagram attention. Today, from Arshdeep to Hardik to Abhishek, everyone's social media is different. So, individually, everyone is a star.

I mean, if you look at the culture of showing family, partner, wives, all this, there was nothing like this. Stardom, glamour, nothing. So, that was a very different era. So, managing everyone, keeping everything under one thing,

keeping it stable, it would have been comparatively easy. Because you don't have to manage everyone's individual tantrum. Everyone here knows... And this has happened in the past. Where people have been like, I won't play domestic, I am a star.

I don't care about you, I make money on IPL. There have been people like that. So how do you think our captain navigated managing these people?

It would not be easy. Because one, there are a lot of individual stars in themselves.

Like Hardik, Bumrah.

Yeah, correct. And they are stars not only because of the perceived brand value. They are stars because the things who play on the field, rarely in the world... Like Hardik. Hardik is the only one in the world. There is no one who can bowl at 140, in the right areas,

can bowl in almost every phase of a T20 inning and can score big runs with a strike rate of 150-160. There is no one. Search for names, 150-160. There is no one. There is no one. Look for names. Use your brain. There is no one.

There is no one in the white ball game. Ben Stokes is an alternative. But he plays a lot of test cricket. He doesn't play as much white ball cricket. When he plays, he rarely gives such good performances. So Hardik Pandya is a rarity. Flat pitch, where he is getting 250 runs,

his economy is 7-8.

At the last moment, if the ball comes so slow that they get beaten for pace. So, these are all geniuses. And you're right. It's possible that Suri Kumar Yadav will say, Jassi, you should come to bowl after you take power play. And Bumrah, the genius that he is, might think, yeah, I just breathe boomerang. I should take the ball if he doesn't. I can do this. I can do this on the switch.

So you're right. It's not easy. This is 100% true. It's tricky.

True. I was reading individual brand value of a player. I really enjoy this. And I was just thinking, how much just, and you can say bold, right? I keep team's heart make healthy.

Here we'll tell both individual egos of players very difficult to manage.

Especially this era. This era, we're going to open it. I'll put a hand on it. I'll put a hand on it. You can gauge it in the market. Just like you did with the 2007 team, there weren't that many metrics to gauge.

What the fan is saying to you, it's like a conversation on a TV channel. Four people are standing somewhere. You can tell from that or from an in-person conversation. Or from the article written in the newspaper. We are talking about it now. The people who will say in the comment section of this, they will read it. The people who will say in their own comment section,

they will read it. What kind of chatter is going on on social media about their name. So now it's very easy to gauge how much is my brand value and is my brand value more than that. And it is only human to compare.

I am also human. I am also less than him. Okay, well thank you so much. Thank you, brother. Thank you.

I will see you later.

Hi.

Are you making a podcast?

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