Pathan confident of faring well in the IPL

Kings XI Punjab all-rounder, Irfan Pathan feels that not having any South African player in the side for the upcoming Indian Premier League will not be a major disadvantage.

The Indian Premier League is all set to get underway for its second season which begins next Saturday in South Africa.

The Chandigarh-based franchise does not have a single South African player but Irfan Pathan, who is on his third visit to South Africa, is confident of his team’s chances.

King XI Punjab was the semi-finalists at last year’s event and their opening batsman Shaun Marsh was awarded the Orange Cap for scoring the most number of runs in the tournament.

"Of course it would help if you have some South Africans in the side for the event is taking place here. But I don't see it as a huge handicap for us," the left-arm Indian seamer, Pathan, was quoted as saying to NDTV.

"We (India) played the Twenty20 World Cup here and won it. South Africa did not. So I don't think you necessarily need to have South Africans to win IPL this time," added the Baroda all-rounder.

"At the end of the day, whichever team plays better will lift the title.”

The Kings XI players have started gathering in Porth Elizabeth. Australians Simon Katich and Burt Cockely arrived on Wednesday night.

Cockely is an emerging fast bowler from New South Wales who has been identified as a future star of Australian cricket.

Pathan is impressed with how the lesser-traveled Indian players were adapting to local conditions.

“This is my third trip here. So whatever experience I have, I’ve already started passing on to a few Indian guys and I‘ve seen the difference already,” Pathan was quoted as saying to The Herald.

“There was a big difference between the first and second net practice we had here. The batsmen became more comfortable with the local fast bowlers. I am pretty happy with their progress.”

Kings XI Punjab will play its first match on the second day of the tournament, April 19, against the Delhi Daredevils.