Change of personnel won't affect us: Coach

Jennings hopes to ride on the confidence of Kohli, Zaheer

“We do have a new set of players with us for this season. But I don’t think that will in any way hinder our preparations. Yes, from a coach’s point of view that could be a challenge, but one that I am looking forward to.

“It’s a pleasure to work with guys like Dan (Vettori), Dilshan, AB (de Villiers) as all of them have got wonderful work ethics and talent,” Jennings told newsmen here on Friday.

The South African, who will be in charge of RCB for the third straight year, said the Bangalore outfit was all set for their IPL opener against Kochi Tuskers Kerala at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here on Saturday.

“We have got a good and confident side. We have two World Cup winners in our squad in Kohli and Zaheer and their presence is important for us. They are high on confidence after that triumph and I hope it will reflect in RCB’s performance in the IPL this season.
“We are geared up for the first match against Kochi, which is a very good side with some experienced players in their line-up,” Jennings said.

Kochi coach Geoff Lawson also said they are all set for their first ever IPL match. “The players are really eager to get on to the field and play their best for Kochi. RCB is a tough unit but we too have some very good players in Sreesanth, Mahela, Murali. We’re very fortunate to have Mahela and Murali in our dressing room as their commitment to the game and ethics are simply exceptional. Hopefully, our young guys will learn a lot from them during the IPL,” Lawson said.

On managing a mercurial character like Sreesanth, Lawson said, “Well, every individual can’t be the same and everyone can’t be disciplined. His enthusiasm is infectious but sometimes it’s misinterpreted. So, there might be a few rough edges, but at the same time it’s not something that cannot be worked on.”

Sreesanth has been a bit of a problem child, with Indian skipper MS Dhoni saying only Sreesanth can control Sreesanth!