Virat Kohli comes across as one who wants to lead from the front: VVS Laxman

KL Rahul recently said he was in touch with you constantly when India toured Australia. What has impressed you most about him?

Right from the first time when I saw Rahul at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, his hometown, he came across as someone who was very hard working and very determined. His work ethic was fantastic. I think he is one of the most technically competent batsmen in India. Also, I was impressed with his attitude towards the game. He is a good reader of the game. He has got all the traits in him to be a world-class batsman. Also, the way he bounced back after a disappointing first Test in Melbourne, to score a hundred in his second game in Sydney showed that he not only has the skill but also good temperament. He is someone who can go on to become a fantastic batsman for Indian cricket and I just hope he realises his talent and potential. It has been great working with him the last one year.

What did you tell him between Melbourne and Sydney Tests? He went on to score a century on what was also your favourite hunting ground...

Nothing specific about Sydney. It was more about having self-belief and knowing his strengths and playing to them. That's what I have always communicated with him. He has to understand what he is capable of doing and just to stick to that. Fortunately in Sydney, unlike in Melbourne, he went out and did not play in a hurry. He took his time and played to his strength like he does in domestic cricket.

Your thoughts on Virat Kohli as India's new Test captain...
In the limited opportunities he got as ODI captain and also in the two Tests in Australia, I was very impressed with his approach. He is positive and aggressive. At the same time, he is also continuing to contribute with the bat. That is very, very critical because you want the captain to lead from the front. And Kohli comes across as someone who wants to lead from the front. I am hoping he will continue to do that even in the future.

Are you pleased with the way Sunrisers Hyderabad have fared so far? It could have been three wins in four games...

After a disappointing start against Chennai, we came back to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore in convincing fashion. Also, we had two last-ball finishes. It was unfortunate to end up losing both games. Having said that, I am quite pleased with the fighting spirit exhibited by the team. They were able to take it down to the wire. It would be always nice to win such close games, but I am sure we will be able to do that.

Are SRH missing on any front?

No. Actually, if you see in both the games (against Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils), by the end of the 17th over, we were not in a good position and the opposition was well in control. Then, in the last three overs, we again pulled it back and came close to winning. That shows that we have got the self-belief that even in tough situations, we can bounce back and not give it up. That is a good sign.

Is your side heavily dependent on openers David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan?
Obviously Warner and Shikhar are important batsmen, both world-class players. Having said that, we have good depth in our batting. Even in the last game against DD, it was Karn Sharma and Ashish Reddy who almost pulled off a victory for Sunrisers. I think every batsman has the potential to win games for us. And they are talented. It is just about converting the talent into performance. That will be the key. As the management, we know each batsman can do well and win matches for Sunrisers.

Dale Steyn is someone who would be an automatic choice in the XI in any other side. But SRH chose to bench him for the first three games. What was the thinking behind that?

It was definitely a tough decision to sit out Dale Steyn for the first three games. It was more to do with the combination we went in and someone like Trent Boult is a left-arm seamer who could get the ball in to the right-handers. He also had a wonderful World Cup. It is a tough choice between Trent and Dale Steyn, especially after Steyn has done really well for Sunrisers and was an integral part in the last two years. Having said that, we pick the players according to the conditions and we are glad that Steyn got an opportunity in the fourth game against Daredevils and did brilliantly. I think it will be a tough choice between Steyn and Boult because both are world-class bowlers.

Boult had a fantastic World Cup and you would hope him to perform in the same vein in the IPL, wouldn't you?

Hopefully. As we know that there are only four overseas players who can play, we have to balance out the team. We don't want to be a bowling-heavy team. Luckily for us, we have got good Indian bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Praveen Kumar and then you have Ishant Sharma on the sidelines. It is just about balancing and going with the right combination for each and every match, and importantly the conditions we are facing and the opposition we are facing will determine the kind of playing XI we have for each and every match.

Overall, are you happy with your squad?

I am very happy with the squad and it is a very balanced one. We have covered all the aspects. Probably, it is a little disappointing that Laxmi Ratan Shukla misses out on the season. He has been diagnosed with jaundice and will be out of action. Otherwise, all the players in the squad are good and talented. We made sure we have got enough depth in batting as bowling has always been our strength.

Is Kevin Pietersen being missed?

In the end, it was the right decision by the management to have asked Kevin Pietersen to continue playing county cricket because he has got the urge and the honest desire to make it back to the England team. I believe we have to honour that desire of his. We know cricket is a game where you have to be mentally switched on. When someone is keen on making a comeback to the national side, it is important to give him that opportunity. That's what the management felt. There is no doubt that KP is a match-winner but in the end, the right decision is taken.

How involved are you as the SRH mentor?

I am really enjoying the role of a mentor. It has been great to work with a group of cricketers who are talented and are keen to learn and improve. It has been fantastic with this franchise where they have given me, (head coach) Tom Moody, Kris Srikkanth last year and now Muttiah Muralitharan total freedom to take decisions related to cricket. My role as a mentor is not only on the technical side, which I definitely discuss and contribute with the group, but also in selecting the team in the auction and for each and every match, and getting involved in strategy and tactics. It has been quite fruitful.

Mumbai Indians have some of the legends in their set up, yet it took them five games to post their first win. Whereas, some other teams have low-profile support staff and win consistently. How is one to understand this?
I have always realised right from my playing days that the support staff can help you in preparing well and creating a good environment within the group and in the changing room where you can go and express yourself and play with a lot of freedom. Having said that, it is the players who will go out, execute the plans and get the results. As much as you plan in the team meetings, as much as you give the right kind of preparation to each and every player, ultimately it is the players who are going to execute the plans and win matches. It doesn't matter if the support staff is high-profile or low-profile as long as it creates an environment where everyone in the team is paid attention to, and everyone is prepared well for the contest, and more importantly, create an environment where everyone is given his role and knows what is expected to do.

What sets SRH apart from the other franchises?

I am not sure about the other franchises, but the Sunrisers management has been fantastic. It creates an environment where everyone is relaxed. Everyone can go out and play fearlessly and I believe that is very, very important in any format. What is very crucial is that everyone is given importance in this franchise. It is not only about the superstar but each and every one in the franchise is made to feel important. Each and every player is expected to go out and do his role properly. It has been a fantastic experience working with Sunrisers over the last two years.

Do you agree that the fielding has gone a few notches this IPL?

You are right. With the passing of every year, the standard of fielding has really improved. We have seen innovation in batting and bowling. Now you are seeing creativity even in fielding. Some of the catches, like the Tim Southee-Karun Nair catch was a fantastic example of being very creative. Even in Sunrisers-Daredevils game, Mayank Agarwal was creative. The ball was almost above the rope and instead of catching, he pulled it back into the ground, giving away only two runs. The players have become more creative and the presence of mind is just unbelievable. It is not something that just happens but a lot of players work hard on their fielding skills and also on their fitness. I believe once you are fit, it automatically lifts the fielding standards.

When the IPL began in 2008, some of the youngsters who made their beginnings are now the core of the Indian batting line-up. How do you see the Indian batting scenario?

Firstly, Indian cricket is fortunate to have amazing batting talent at its disposal. You saw this even in the World Cup, where everyone became a match-winner. That is very important for me. They are not only consistent in getting runs but also winning matches on their own, especially in tough situations. I am sure IPL has contributed a lot in their development because you get to play against top talented players in the world. Also, they get to play and spend a lot of time with some exceptionally talented and gifted players from the world over and can learn a lot and blossom from that experience. Also, they are playing in front of packed houses each and every game, so they are not really overawed when they get to play their first big game of their career. I believe the IPL has really helped for these youngsters and it is good to see the next lot of youngsters also blossoming. You see Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, who played a fantastic knock against us the other day. All these performances against some quality bowlers will give a lot of confidence to the young batsmen. And also for the young bowlers when they bowl against some top quality batsmen. I think that will help them develop into mature cricketers.