JOIN US'Bangalore is a great place to come to'
He recently led a spirited New Zealand team to the World Cup semifinals and now Daniel Vettori is captaining the young players of Royal Challengers Bangalore and has also got them their first win in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League.
Calm and composed Vettori was rather shy when he was coaxed into singing and dancing in front of the camera while shooting for an advertisement in the City recently. But he feels that all this entertainment is part and parcel of the IPL.
Ask him how different it is to captain a new team and he says, “There is a lot of difference. In the New Zealand team, the players are mature whereas here, there are many young players. There are many dynamics in the team.”
Vettori says stepping into Anil Kumble’s shoes is a tough yet an exciting job. Interacting with Anil, who is now the chief mentor of the team, has had a positive effect on the team.
“I know there are going to be comparisons but that is not going to get to me. Having Anil by the side is very important as he knows a lot about the team, players and his overall expertise of the game can help us immensely,” says Vettori, who played for the Delhi Daredevils in the last three seasons.
Vettori says that the players are still coming out of the World Cup mood, but they are all focussing on winning this season. “I feel the excitement of the World Cup will carry into the IPL as well. We are all trying to be as confident as possible and do not think of the fatigue. Instead we are concentrating on winning the IPL Cup this season,” he says.
Interestingly, Vettori has always had a soft spot for the City. Having been here for a while now, the captain got opportunities to visit a few malls and shop around in the City.
“Bangalore is a great place to come to. It has beautiful hotels, the ground is fantastic and the temperature in the City is great. So far, I have enjoyed being here and hope to play some good matches here as well,” he signs off.