Shane Warne a revolutionary who was ahead of his time, states Mohammad Kaif

After Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals, branded the weakest team on paper in 2008, lost their first game in the IPL in 2008, the team was disregarded instantly and was pipped to finish bottom of the table, due to the sheer inexperience of the side. However, remarkably, the young side, instead, went on an astonishing run and made their way to the final in the blink of an eye, before upsetting Chennai Super Kings in the summit to become the first-ever IPL Champions. 

The young RR side’s USP was the captaincy of Warne, under who a plethora of young players thrived, something that contributed to the side’s eventual triumph. Mohammad Kaif, who was a senior member of RR’s side in 2008, heaped praise on Warne and branded the Australian as a revolutionary, for he introduced the ‘horses for courses’ concept that was seldom witnessed back in the day in cricket. Kaif noted that Warne’s flexibility enabled him to get the best out of every player.

“Shane Warne was ahead of his time. He started the concept of ‘horses for courses’ during IPL 2008. Warne got the best out of everyone. He had the quality of being flexible,” Kaif was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

“We had a lot of changes on our side. There was no batting position fixed for any player. Warne told me to talk to the Indian guys, who were a little weak in English. I did not take IPL 2008 very seriously as not many of us had played the format, but when we started winning, I thought that this product would go a long way as the families started enjoying the tournament.”

Another former RR player, Yusuf Pathan, who with his stint in the club established himself as one of the most dangerous hitters in world cricket, also showered compliments on the legendary Australian spinner’s captaincy. Yusuf revealed how Warne always kept the players motivated and back them to hell and beyond and even stated that every skipper in the world ‘should learn from Shane Warne’. Yusuf further admitted that he gets a feeling of nostalgia every time he visits Rajasthan.

“I remember Warne took our team meeting. He was very positive. He told it does not matter that we lost in the first match, but he emphasised the need for showing team-spirit and giving our best. He motivated all of us by giving a rousing speech and then he went on to say that we will go on to win the tournament. Every skipper in the world should look to learn from him,” said Pathan.

“Warne told us that the management will back every player. We went on to win our matches from thereon. Every player got the backing and appreciation after every match. We then made it to the finals. Whenever I go to Rajasthan, I feel like I have gone back to the time in 2008.”