Delhi Capitals (DC) all-rounder Marcus Stoinis is all set to return to action after four and a half months with the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) in the UAE having opted out of Australia's limited-overs tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh.
Ahead of Delhi Capitals’ (DC) IPL 2021 encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22 in Dubai, Stoinis has opened up about the crucial goal he has set for himself, saying he wants to become the best finisher in the world in the next three years.
The Aussie further said that DC, the runner-up of the last IPL 2020 season, can do something special in the IPL 14 if they play with freedom, excitement, and backing each other.
Stoinis told ESPNcricinfo: “My next phase, the way I see it, over the next three years I want to be not only the best finisher in Australia, I want to be the best finisher in the world.”
The 32-year-old further said of his franchise, “The key for us is going to this tournament having each other's back, looking to play like we've got nothing to lose because, at the end of the day, we don't have anything to lose. I think if we play with that freedom and that excitement, we're going to do something special. I think that's the way we've got to attack that. There's enough talent. There are so many good players in our team that there's no reason why we shouldn't.”
On his relationship with DC head coach Ricky Ponting, the all-rounder said: “Ricky is a bloody genius. And a lot of his genius isn't always about cricket. It's about how he communicates with people. He understands me quite well. So, he knows how to push my buttons. He knows when to challenge me. He knows when to pump me up.”
Stoinis further noted, “When it comes to game time, we've got a good relationship in that I'm sitting in the dugout, I'm asking him what he's thinking. I'm telling him what bowler I want to target when to send me out, he's telling me to sort of sit down and relax.”
He concluded, “Usually we end up talking at the time-out about just the plan of attack for the last whatever it is -- eight overs, nine overs, seven overs. And it's pretty clear, we both understand what we want to do and how we want the game to pan out from there.”
(With ANI Inputs)
