I'm ready to captain Daredevils: Gambhir

Mumbai: The third edition of the IPL will bring along an interesting challenge for Gautam Gambhir, as he is getting ready to lead the Delhi Daredevils.

The very thought of leading some of the biggest names of international cricket might unnerve many, but the gutsy Indian opener is genetically engineered to take challenges head on.

“I’m not nervous, as I think it’s a great responsibility. You want to test yourself against different challenges and that’s what I’ll try to do. Ultimately, when you walk on to the field there are no big names. You’re the captain, you’ve got to make your own decisions and lead from the front. It’s also about playing well as a team. If the eleven men can play well together, it’s very difficult for any team to beat them,” said Gambhir.

Following India’s early ouster from the last year’s World Twenty20 and Champions Trophy, coach Gary Kirsten expressed concerns over the fact that the IPL takes too much out of the players. The players are found jaded by the time they play in the international tournaments, which follow almost immediately.

Kirsten also suggested now that the league is here to stay, players must utilise the IPL as a preparation ground for the international tournaments.

“I think it’s the responsibility of the players to make sure they look after themselves during the IPL and at the back of their minds prepare for the international tournaments.

“They can use the IPL as a preparation ground for the Twenty20 World Cup. They play 13-14 games in the league, which is a huge opportunity and it must be used in a right way,” Kirsten said.

Gambhir too extended full support to his coach’s views and stressed that nothing exceeds the importance of playing for the country.

“I completely agree with Gary. World Cup is the most important thing because we’re playing for our country. When you play in the IPL, you get into the T20 mode, which would help you in the Twenty20 World Cup,” Gambhir said.