Mark Boucher is turning out for the Warriors instead of Royal Challengers in this edition of the Champions League T20. But for the South African, it’s a sort of homecoming. Boucher, who was part of RCB in the first three years, is back in familiar territory — the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
He is confident of preparing his teammates for the challenges ahead in the tournament. “I had spent some good time in Bangalore, and I know the conditions and the pitch here. Many of our guys have not experienced these conditions, and we had a few meetings before we left. I told them about what to expect here — the pitch, the crowd, and how the Indians are,” said Boucher.
“This is a big stadium, and I have played quite a few matches here. That opening match of IPL 1 is still in my memory. It was a massive game for all the players. I can imagine similar level of excitement and magnitude of occasion this time as well. Hopefully, I can keep the guys calm and make them respond to the occasion,” he remarked.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, who had turned out for Warriors in the last CLT20, where they had reached the final, admits that this time around, things could be quite different. “Last time, we were the runners-up in South Africa, and it could be because we got a few home games at St George’s Park. It was a massive advantage,” recalled Boucher and went on to add, “But many of our guys haven’t played in these conditions, while some of us have prior experience here. So, it’s a sort of a balancing act. But what happened in the past is past. We don’t mind being called one of the favourites. But our focus will be take each match as it comes.”
This will also be the last tournament for Boucher in Warrior colours as he is moving to Cape Cobras. Obviously, he wants to leave the team on a high. “This is my last tournament for Warriors. I have decided to move to Cobras. I live a lot more in that part, and also got some business interests there. It’s a tough decision to move from Warriors, a franchise in which I have spent 15 years, no probably, 17-18 years. It’s disappointing to move out, but I will try my best to move away after helping Warriors win the title,” said Boucher.
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