Published 16:03 IST, June 3rd 2020
Mohammad Kaif lauds ex-Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne for being ahead of his time
Mohammad Kaif went on to say that for him, Shane Warne was the Player of the Tournament in IPL 2008 for the way he handled champions Rajasthan Royals.
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IPL side Rajasthan Royals went on to surprise everyone in the first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 as they lifted the IPL title contrary to all expectations. The Rajasthan-based outfit didn't have many big names, however, their young cricketers stepped up and took the opportunity with both hands to win their maiden and only IPL title till date. One of the most vital cogs of their win was skipper Shane Warne, whose impeccable captaincy played a huge role in the team's success.
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Mohammad Kaif heaps praise on Shane Warne's leadership in IPL 2008
Recently, Mohammad Kaif who was a part of the victorious campaign in 2008, was full for praise for Shane Warne, saying that the Australian spinner was ahead of his time to start the concept of 'horses for courses' and field playing XIs according to the conditions. Mohammad Kaif was involved in an Instagram live session with his then-teammate at Rajasthan Royals Yusuf Pathan where the duo discussed the Rajasthan Royals' journey in the IPL 2008.
During the interaction, Mohammad Kaif said that Shane Warne got the best out of everyone and lauded his quality to be flexible. Mohammad Kaif added that they had a lot of changes in their side and there was no batting position fixed for any player. He disclosed that Shane Warne urged him to talk to the Indian players on his behalf, who were a little weak in English.
The 39-year old also confessed that he did not take IPL 2008 very seriously as not many of them had played the format, but when they started winning, he thought that this product would go a long way as families had started enjoying the tournament. In fact, Mohammad Kaif went on to say that for him, Shane Warne was the Player of the Tournament in IPL 2008 for the way he handled Rajasthan Royals.
Mohammad Kaif further said that he still remembers Shane Warne took their team meeting after their loss in the first match. He was very positive. He told it does not matter that we lost in the first match, but he emphasised the need for showing team spirit and giving it their best shot.
Mohammad Kaif added that Warne motivated all the players by giving a rousing speech and then predicted that they would go on to win the tournament, something which every captain in the world should look to learn from him. Kaif revealed that Warne told them that the management will back every player and since then, they went on to win nearly all their matches.
Kaif feels that every player got a lot of support and appreciation from Shane Warne after every match and that whenever he goes to Rajasthan today, he has a sense of nostalgia about the 2008 season. Rajasthan Royals went on to defeat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the finals of the 2008 IPL by three wickets to lift the maiden IPL trophy.
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IMAGE COURTESY: RAJASTHAN ROYALS TWITTER
16:03 IST, June 3rd 2020