IPL gave Shane Warne a chance to show that he was a pretty good captain: Kevin Pietersen
Warne led the Royals to a title in the inaugural IPL in 2008, beating MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in the finale.
The late Australian legend Shane Warne was regarded as one of the greatest spinners in the history of cricket. Heaping praise on his time in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where Warne led the inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals, former English cricketer Kevin Pietersen has opined on his time in the IPL and playing under Warne's leadership.
Notably, Warne led the Royals to a title in the inaugural edition of the championship in 2008, beating MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in the finale. Pietersen reckoned that the IPL was the platform that gave Warne an opportunity to display his abilities as a captain.
"I think what the IPL did for Warnie was give him that authority to show people that he’s a pretty good captain. He didn’t have great players and a team where you thought, ‘Rajasthan Royals are going to clean up here'. Absolutely not. That real strength of his to make people believe they’re so much better than they are. It showed," Pietersen told Betway.
Pietersen also talked about legendary Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga, saying, "It was the uniqueness of his action, of where the ball was delivered. What should be shown more is how he practised. He would just put a boot on the popping crease on the other side, and he’d run in and just hit that boot. Wouldn’t worry about slower balls, wide slower balls, slower-ball bouncers. There’s a boot, *whoosh*, *whoosh*, and he’d run in and just hit that boot."
The 42-year-old also reflected on the pressure that the IPL adds to the minds of the players and how it is unmatched to any other franchise event.
"All the best players know; they block out their two months of the year, that’s when they’re going to go and do their service. There’s a lot of pressure. I remember speaking to De Villiers and Kohli about this three or four years ago. They say it’s like the Champions League. These guys are showing up knowing this is not just a free ride to go and earn a quick buck. They really have to perform," he said.
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