Vijay: Openers have no excuse for failure
India and Kings XI Punjab opener Murali Vijay feels he has no excuse for failure in the IPL this season, given how much time openers have to bat, and hopes to use his good international form to max effect.
Vijay is playing for KXIP this season on the back of a good few moths for India, and feels he's being put to good use by skipper George Bailey as they look to reach the final again, like thy did last season.
Vijay told the IPL website: "My understanding is simple. I don’t think openers can ever blame (anything) because we have got twenty overs to go and play. If I can play out around 15-16 overs I will be somewhere close to my hundred.
"So I have got the best opportunity; I cannot have any problems with that. Obviously I am happy in that way and I am looking forward for maybe a couple of more (hundreds) this season.
"They (team management) trust me as an opener. Obviously they want me to be the one who can play out the overs and if I play out the overs they know I would put the team in a pretty good situation."
Vijay added that he enjoyed batting with veteran opener Virender Sehwag, for years a stape in the India Test side, and was learning a lot from the man he replaced in the international side.
He added of batting with Sehwag: "It is always exciting. I have been part of the Indian team when he was playing but I did not get an opportunity to open with him at that time.
"But now I have the opportunity to open with him; he plays the way he wants to and it is such a nice sight to be standing at the non-striker’s end and see him play fearlessly and with freedom. He is a good character too; it is fun to play with him."
He added that he always enjoyed watching Australia batsman Mark Waugh bat when he was younger: "I always liked Mark Waugh. I am a Mark Waugh fan. I was crazy about him when I was a kid. I don’t know why, but I liked the way he carried himself in the field, the way he was and everything about him.
"And obviously in India I like Sachin (Tendulkar), no doubt about it. I like Viru pa (Virender Sehwag) and now I like the way I play."
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