What Sachin, VVS, Sourav, Sehwag said at IPL opening ceremony

Tags: Indian Premier League 2017, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman, Virender Sehwag

Published on: Apr 07, 2017

This is a big achievement. When IPL was announced in 2007, I never thought the league would

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Sachin Tendulkar was pleased at 10 years of IPL.
“This is a big achievement. When IPL was announced in 2007, I never thought the league would become so big, and now, it is a matter of pride that in India, there is a tournament which the whole world has taken notice of. I thought it would not be as competitive as it is right now, I thought players would go out and play but ‘it doesn’t really matter’ but as the tournament has progressed, the competitiveness has seeped into all of us,” he said.
VVS Laxman said, “The biggest gain from the IPL is for the uncapped players. The kind of exposure they get, not just from Indian players, but cricketers from around the globe. The kind of confidence they get, they are not overawed. You saw Kuldeep Yadav made his debut at Dharamsala, he was not overawed by the occasion. I feel the kind of exposure the IPL gives uncapped players, it is phenomenal.”
Sourav Ganguly added, “It is phenomenal to see the effect IPL has had on cricket. I went to watch the FIFA World Cup some years back, and this is very close to that. The people it attracts is amazing. Playing in this atmosphere is great for young players. It takes your game, your confidence to a different level. We have seen Indian cricket go forward. It can’t get bigger than this.”
Virender Sehwag chipped in, “I never changed my mindset, I tried to play and hit every ball in Tests or T20. I believe in one thing – if you play cricket, you should play to entertain people. I have told the boys to play their game, play aggressive, play their shots. I have told them not to bother about getting out. It gives them confidence when your mentor or coach or captain gives you the freedom to play the way you want”
--By A Cricket Correspondent

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