Jayawardene to lead Team Kochi

Mahela Jayawardene will captain Team Kochi in the 2011 IPL. The former Sri Lanka captain was asked to lead the IPL franchise whose squad also includes his fellow Sri Lanka team-mates Muttiah Muralitharan and Thisara Perera, on Tuesday, and said he would be "thrilled" to do so.

"Leading an IPL franchise will be a really exciting personal challenge for me," Jayawardene said. "The fact that Kochi is a new franchise with such a passionate and knowledgeable fan base in Kerala makes the captaincy even more exciting."

Jayawardene was Kochi's big signing, who bought him for US$1.5 million at the IPL auction in January, and said he is pleased with the mix of players in the side. "We have a very interesting mix of Indian and overseas players in the squad including a lot of variety in the bowling, a key factor that is crucial in T20 cricket. We also have some fine batsmen and some useful all rounders. With the right preparation and strategy, I am very confident we have the potential to spring some major upsets in IPL4."

In addition to Jayawardene and his Sri Lanka team-mates, the franchise also bought New Zealand opening batsman Brendon McCullum, and India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, among others.

The franchise was dogged by ownership squabbles in the lead-up to the player auction, and was on the verge of having its IPL contract terminated by the BCCI, before working out their differences at the last minute. However, Jayawardene, who played for Kings XI Punjab in the first three seasons of the tournament, says he has been impressed by the team's management.

"I am very grateful for the faith they have placed in me. They love their cricket and there is already a close-knit and friendly atmosphere in the franchise. They also know my No 1 priority is now the World Cup and they are very respectful of my international responsibilities for Sri Lanka."