IPL 2020: SRH is more like a family than a franchise, says mentor VVS Laxman
The 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is scheduled to start from September 19th in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after being moved abroad due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
All the IPL teams, along with their players and support staff, have flown to the UAE and are currently undergoing a strict seven day quarantine in their team hotels. They will undergo a total of three tests during this time, which will determine if they are cleared for practice sessions.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise held a virtual group call to connect with all their players as they undergo the quarantine protocol. The social media handles of the SRH franchise released a sneak peek into the group call in which VVS Laxman spoke about the support within the squad.
The video begins with SRH mentor and former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman addressing the players, followed by the new head coach Trevor Bayliss and skipper David Warnter wishing all the players. Trevor Bayliss joins the SRH franchise as their head coach after replacing longtime coach Australian Tom Moody.
Bayliss has previously coached in the IPL as the head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders, leading them to two titles in 2012 and 2014.
VVS Laxman remarked that the team this year feels more like a family than a franchise.
"More like a family than a franchise and you know, we all enjoy each others' company," said VVS Laxman.
Skipper David Warner looked in jolly mood, greeting all the players as we saw glimpses of Kane Williamson, Khaleel Ahmed and Manish Pandey interacting on the group video call.
After this sneak peek, we can expect more from the video call, as was indicated by the SRH social media handles.
Sunrisers Hyderabad have been quite a successful franchise since making their debut in the IPL 2013 season when they finished fourth. They won their maiden title in the IPL 2016 season and have consistently made the playoffs since 2016, finishing as the runners-up in 2018.