Jaipur: Undeterred by the fact that his side has lost five out its seven matches and is second last in the points table, Deccan Chargers skipper VVS Laxman is upbeat for Friday's match against hosts Rajasthan Royals and feels that the Indian Premier League is still wide open.

Talking to reporters after his arrival, the stylish Hyderabadi said the format of the tournament ensured that it was still wide open.

"We may have not begun well but still we have chance and tournament is wide open. We lost couple of close matches despite the players giving their best," he said.

"We are not under pressure because we lost to Rajasthan Royals on our own turf. That experience will be handful. We have to play to best our abilities. Play hard and try to win," said the elegant batsman.

On his injury on the right hand, which forced him to sit in the previous outing against the Chennai Super Kings, Laxman said he was feeling better.

"It is better now. I will have nets and wait till tomorrow evening before taking a final call. We have not seen the wicket and will work out after having a look at it."

Talking about the tournament so far, he said, "The top four teams have not done as well as expected but all still have a chance. We have to play better. Some surprises are still on cards. All teams have played each other once and now they know about strengths and weaknesses of others."

Talking about his team's poor showing, Laxman refused to blame it on poor man management.

"Every team member is trying hard. They lost their wickets trying big shots. If we click together and play well we can build big scores," he said.

Laxman also praised the way Rajasthan Royals have maintained their tempo in the tournament.

"Rajasthan Royals have shown mental strength. There is no question of revenge. I hope it will be a good match. The win against Chennai has given us momentum and we know Rajasthan will come back strongly after their defeat last night," he added.

Regarding his own form, Laxman said, "Though I did not do well first two matches, in the last four I have been batting well and stroking well."

Source : PTI