IPL 2022: Shane Watson has revealed why he couldn’t say no to coaching Delhi Capitals and also named some young players he is looking forward to working with in the upcoming season.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season will begin on March 26 but Delhi Capitals will kickstart their campaign the next day against five-time champions Mumbai Indians. Delhi Capitals have two new faces in their coaching staff for the upcoming season. Former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar and former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson will be assistant coaches this season and they would play second-fiddle to head coach Ricky Ponting.
“The thing about coaching that excites me the most is the chance to help people become better versions of themselves. The chance of working with Ricky was not something I was going to let go of. He has always been an incredible leader and mentor for me,” said Watson in an official Delhi Capitals release.
Watson also revealed the players he is looking forward to work with in the DC camp.
“There are a lot of exciting young talents in the Delhi Capitals. I have played with Sarfaraz Khan and Mandeep Singh and I am super excited to reconnect and work with them in a different capacity. Lalit Yadav is another really exciting player that I have seen during training. But I am here to help everyone and I am excited about this opportunity.”
Last season, Delhi Capitals had made it to the playoffs but they suffered a heart-breaking loss against Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2 at Sharjah.
Agarkar also spoke about working with the Delhi Capitals head coach.
“Ricky Ponting is a big factor behind a lot of people wanting to work in this team. I’ve been fortunate enough to play against him a few times and I have also played IPL with him. I have known him for a long time. And I know how much the young players enjoy working with Ricky.”
“It’s been excellent to be in the Delhi Capitals camp. There are a lot of young players in the side. I could see from the outside that the DC management has created a nice environment around the team and that shows in the franchise’s success. There are a lot of new faces that have joined the team, including me, and it’s our responsibility that the good environment stays intact,” Agarkar further stated.
Delhi Capitals Squad: Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, Rishabh Pant (c), Axar Patel, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Shardul Thakur, Mustafizur Rahman, Kuldeep Yadav, Ashwin Hebbar, Sarfaraz Khan, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, KS Bharat, Mandeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Chetan Sakariya, Lalit Yadav, Ripal Patel, Yash Dhull, Rovman Powell, Pravin Dubey, Lungi Ngidi, Tim Seifert, Vicky Ostwal.