Royals have the environment for success: Manager

“We have created an environment in which all players have been given equal importance. In team meetings we have spoken about walking on the edge and told them if they fall we will catch them,” he said at the launch of the Emerging Media Cricket Star Twenty20 Season 3 in Mumbai.

“When Dinesh Salunkhe (who won the first edition of the talent contest) sits next to Shane Warne in the dressing room they are brothers. That’s the major factor in Rajasthan Royals’ success in the tournament,” he said.

Berry dispelled notions that Twenty20 cricket will affect the more traditional form of the game. “The basic skills remain the same. The important thing is how one adapts to the different formats and we have shown it with our results in this tournament,” he explained.

Salunkhe said he had never even imagined about shaking hands with Warne let alone play alongside the leg spin legend.

“It’s a big thing to share the dressing room with Shane Warne. I had never dreamt of even shaking hands with him, let alone play alongside Warne. I have learned how to plan my bowling from him and will use it in domestic cricket next year,” Salunkhe said.

“I was not as skilful before the IPL. I have improved my skills as well as mental toughness (after playing under Warne),” the young leg spinner from Maharashtra said.

Contrary to perception that they have a limited budget when the players’ auction was held, Chairman of Emerging Media (which owns Rajasthan Royals), Manoj Badale, said, “We had no budgetary limitations for buying players. We got exactly the players we wanted in our Rajasthan Royals team.”

Emerging Media spent the least amount of money in buying the team franchise from the IPL (65 million USD for 10 years). The players it bought during the auction were also not as highly priced as those purchased by the other seven teams.

The team’s performance coach Jeremy Snape said it was a once in a lifetime’s experience for many young players to rub shoulders with Warne and other international stars in the team like Graeme Smith and Shane Watson.

Speaking about the future plans of Emerging Media, Badale said they will shortlist around 30 players for the next talent contest. CEO Fraser Castellino and former Mumbai Ranji player Zubin Bharucha, whose World Cricket Academy is a partner in the talent hunt, said they will pick players from more catchments areas, including small towns of MP and UP.