IPL 2013: Gautam Gambhir backs Yusuf Pathan to fire soon
The Kolkata skipper said that Yusuf is a match winner and he continues to have faith in his abilities. The all rounder also has the backing of the entire team, said Gambhir.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir has backed out-of-form all-rounder Yusuf Pathan and expressed confidence that the Baroda cricketer would do "something special" very soon in the Indian Premier League.
"Pathan is a match winner and is going to do something special in this tournament. I have a lot of belief in him and the entire team backs him and he backs himself as well. He is a match-winner and he will do something special very soon," he told reporters here during a pre-match press conference here.
Gambhir said KKR do not not discuss their opponents and deliberate on team planning. "We have got a lot of courage in the dressing room. We are a very difficult side to beat," he said.
Gambhir said he does not believe in words like momentum, but believes in playing good cricket.
Gambhir said the playing XI has not been picked for Thursday's match, but L Balaji is a great option for the captain for the sheer reason that he had played brilliantly in the first game and in the last IPL.
Gambhir said Brednon McCullum is fit and ready to play.
Replying to a query, Gambhir said KKR do not believe in making quick changes in the team, but believe in giving fair chance to players.
"We have got a lot in Manvinder Bisla and we want him to perform the way we want," he said.
Gambhir said it will be a good battle between Chris Gayle and Sunil Narine because both of them know each other well.
"We don't think about someone like Chris (Gayle) or any individual. We think of winning and plan for the entire team," he said.
"They will have a few tricks up their sleeves against each other," he said.
Talking about his match-winning innings here last year, Gambhir said he does not look back upon his performance.
"I look at things what I am going to do tomorrow and that is how you should look at things even when you are in the dressing room," he said.
Gambhir feels that competitive nature of the tourney ensures that any team can win the tournament.
"All teams are balanced and hence you have to just keep playing good cricket throughout the two months," he said.
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer Jaydev Unadkat said Zaheer Khan may be back in action very soon but he has no idea about his fitness status.
"He (Zaheer)is training hard," Unadkat informed.
The left-arm seamer said Zaheer has been very helpful and gave useful tips to him about bowling in different conditions.
"He has lot of experience and has been working on my bowling aspects in the nets," he said.
Unadkat said he is looking forward to carry his form into the coming games and feel fortunate to have played for RCB and performed well.
"Last year, I did not get much opportunities playing for Kolkata Knight Riders. Most of the time, I was sitting out and watching, which is a difficult thing," he said.