Punjab Kings all-rounder Stoinis hails fearless Indian youngsters

Marcus Stoinis

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been left supremely impressed by the quality of youngsters in the Punjab Kings squad as well as the Indian T20 set up on the sidelines of the IPL.

After the retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, the depth of Indian cricket have ensured that the T20 team has built on the success of the 2024 T20 World Cup courtesy the likes of Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma.

At Punjab Kings camp, rookies like opener Priyansh Arya have already made a mark even though it is early days in the IPL. "There's great depth here [in Indian cricket]. There always has been. And I think they're getting the chance to show their skills on a world stage," Stoinis said.

‘They're super confident'

"They are super confident. They've had almost the advantage of growing up with IPL, being under pressure from the early stages in their career. It's brilliant to see how fearless they are with their cricket and especially [while playing for] Indian cricket [team].

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"Some of the youngsters in the Punjab Kings camp who have never really played the IPL are very impressive," said the 35-year-old.

‘Feels like home here'

Stoinis returns to the franchise after almost a decade and is excited to work with compatriot and head coach Ricky Ponting. "A lot of Aussie boys here, which
is nice for me. So it does feel at home," he said referring to the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis."

Stoinis' connection with Virat Kohli goes back to their U-19 days when the Indian led his team to the World Cup title in 2008.

Stoinis said he remains in touch with the Indian superstar and has enjoyed tracking his remarkable career.

"We've known each other for a long time. We've got a mutual friend in Perth that has known him for a long time as well. So that's sort of how that relationship started," he said.

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