IPL 2019 | Brad Hodge offers insight into ‘cut-throat’ nature of Indian Premier League

Kings XI Punjab find themselves in the mix for a play-off spot this season as they currently occupy the fifth position on the IPL table. Former KXIP coach Brad Hodge, who coached the team last season, was initially credited for bringing about a change in the mentality of the Punjab-based franchise. However, his side failed to make the play-off stage despite winning the first five matches last season.

Hodge, who along with Virender Sehwag parted ways with Punjab, revealed that being a coach in the Indian Premier League is certainly no cake walk. Hodge revealed that the pressure from franchise owners along with maintaining the decorum within the dressing room is certainly not an easy task.

"It's pretty brutal (for coaches) in this part of the world (IPL). If you don't make the finals here, you pretty much pack your bags and walk out the door. Look, it's pretty cut-throat here actually... I sort of said to the Kings XI Punjab (owners), 'How do you define success? What do you actually want to do?' You haven't won in ten years, so if I'm not to win next year, how am I defined?"  Hodge said in on ESPNcricinfo's Talking T20 podcast.

The former Australian cricketer played for three different teams in the IPL, including Rajasthan Royals that made the playoffs in 2013. As a coach, he took the Gujarat Lions to the playoffs in their inaugural season in 2016. 

Hodge continues to coach in the Caribbean Premier League with St.Lucia Stars but opined that the culture in the IPL is different from most T20 leagues around the globe. He cited Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as the two most successful teams in the tournament over the last decade.

"I sort of said to them (Kings XI owners), 'How many times do you want to win (the IPL) in a decade?' And I thought three is realistic. It doesn't matter whether you win this year, next year or the year after. You could win three in a row in the mid-pack. Just that if you've won three in a decade... If you look at CSK, they've won three. Mumbai Indians, they've won three. They've got a successful ten years."