Under the leadership of the experienced campaigner Zaheer Khan, the Delhi Daredevils are gearing up for their 2016 Vivo IPL campaign.
While they have the shrewd left-arm pacer to lead them, DD will also be ably guided by Rahul Dravid and coach Paddy Upton besides other former players who are part of the team’s support staff.

Speaking about his leadership role and teaming up with his former India team-mate and captain Dravid for the Daredevils, Zaheer said, “It’s a great responsibility and a great challenge I would say. As you know our squad is full of youngsters, so it’s an opportunity for me to give it back to the game, and I think, Rahul (Dravid) also sees it in the same fashion. He has worked a lot with the Under-19 boys and enjoys the responsibility and being there out on the field and being connected to cricket. It’s important that we transform everything on the field. It’s a good challenge for me at this stage, I think.

“We have a good bunch of guys for managing all the players. As you know during the IPL, the squads are big in size so the team management’s role is crucial. It also reflects on the travelling. The season is going to be hectic. Considering everything, it’s a big group and we are looking forward to just enjoying the journey which we will be taking on,” he added.

Speaking about the season ahead, he said, “I always look ahead. It’s a new season and a new start. Everyone and put in a lot of work to get things together. We are looking to start off on a positive note. We can’t wait to get to Kolkata and play the first game.

“I am very excited and looking forward to playing. I am itching to get back on the field in the DD jersey and looking forward to working with some young energy (around),” Zaheer, who hasn’t played matches since the 2015 IPL mentioned while expressing his eagerness to get on field.

While discussing his team, he further said, “The young energy will be visible on the field. These are guys who have been performing during the domestic season so I am looking forward to working with the young guys specially Shreyas (Iyer) who has had a great season, Karun Nair, Sanju Samson you just name them. (Mohammed) Shami is coming back from injury and raring to go. It’s amazing to see that energy in practice now. We (also) have someone like Quinton (de Kock), (Carlos) Brathwaite who is coming in with such confidence now, and (Nathan) Coulter-Nile has been amazing. Last season he has been outstanding. Everyone is enjoying being out there again. Everyone is upbeat and looking forward to the next season.

“IPL is about momentum and maintaining it. Everyone’s contribution will be crucial we are happy that Brathwaite is coming in with good confidence after helping West Indies win the match in the last over (in the 2016 ICC World T20 final), so I hope that the confidence will help take our team forward as well,” he said while speaking about the West Indian player who is part of the DD squad.

Asked how he sees his current role vis-à-vis his role as the ‘bowling captain’ while playing for India in his later years, the DD skipper explained, “It is very similar. You are out there and constantly thinking about the game. In the format like this, I would encourage the whole squad to think like that. If you are thinking about the game, thinking about the situations then you manage them well and I think looking at the T20 format, and especially looking at the speed of it, the way the game goes on I think we need to have 11 captains on the field. If everyone thinks like that then as a team, we are going to progress and do well in the upcoming season of the IPL.”

Seeing as some of the older players like him playing and leading the team and bowlers like Ashish Nehra succeeding despite the speed and intensity of the format, Zaheer said, “I think it is about clear thinking and strategy and if you are good enough and fit enough to play and cope with the pressures and demands of the format, then why not. At times we get caught up with numbers, be it statistics on the field or be it the age, so I think we all need to move on from that. There are plenty of guys who are playing the shortest format and been around for a long time. There are enough examples .”