Mahela looks to Vinay for inputs

Local players have done well

“Our first match was against RCB and it was a close match and unfortunately we lost that game. After that, we made a few changes in our team and we have got things under our control. Ours is a young team and it took some time to settle down.

“We have some very good players. RCB is a strong side but we hope to do well. We have had good results against teams like Delhi and Kolkata,” Jayawardene told reporters here on Saturday.

The former Sri Lankan skipper pointed to the performance of local players as one of the reasons for Kochi’s decent outings in IPL IV. “The local players are doing well for us and that is a good sign. Prasanth Parameswaran held his nerve in big matches. We all know that Raiphi Vincent Gomez has the talent and he has done well.

“Then, we have R Vinay Kumar, who brings in a lot of experience. He can give us insights about the pitch here. Gayle has done very well and we need to take that into account.”
However, Jayawardene accepted the need for more consistency in the upcoming matches to make it to the play-off stage.

“We need to win at least three out of the next four games to stay in contention for the semifinal. In the initial stages, no one gave us a chance so I told the boys, ‘Let us enjoy the cricket and let us enjoy the tough situations more than the other team’. We have done well.

‘More consistency’

“Yes, there’s a need for more consistency. I am not making an excuse here but in our last few games, we have played on some mediocre wickets where you have to scrap for runs. But on good tracks, we have done well against strong teams, be it Delhi or Kolkata,” he said.

Jayawardene will not be available for the knockout stage, should the Tuskers get there, as he has to join the Lankan team for a series against England. But Jayawardene expressed confidence that the Tuskers can do well without him at the helm.

“Our team is not about individuals, it is about team effort. When I go, I am sure we have the talent on the bench to step in and perform. It is not about me or any other individual player,” he added.