Canned IPL will hurt India aspirants
NEWDELHI: India’s biggest summer spectacle—the IPL—is on the verge of becoming a no show in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The world’s richest cricket league, whose brand value last year was $6.7 billion, according to the US consultancy firm Duff and Phelps, is a parade of top international stars, but it also scores for the talent that it unearths. David Warner and Jasprit Bumrah are among those who rose from IPL’s hustle and bustle, plucked out of obscurity as raw, young talent, and launched into stardom.
Many young players dream of taking the IPL route to national selection. It is even more crucial this tear with the World T20 scheduled in Australia in October. The IPL impact was evident when India skipper Virat Kohli, after a dip in the performances of pacers on the New Zealand tour, named Karnataka’s M Prasidh Krishna as “possibly be the X-factor” Down Under.
From bowling in the nets in 2018 to impressing IPL scouts, the lanky 24-year-old pacer was signed up by KKR and has spent two seasons with the team, developing rapidly into a versatile and dangerous bowler. Going by Kohli’s assessment, this could have been a defining one for him. He is unlikely to get that chance.
Or consider Rajasthan legspinner Rahul Chahar, 20, who has been signed up by Mumbai Indians. As he worked on his fitness in Mumbai, IPL cancellation was a worry. “It is disappointing,” he said. “I’m practising. Everything else is closed in Mumbai. If you don’t practice, you’ll not be in touch. I set a bar for myself last year and was looking to raise it,” he shrugged.
Maharashtra opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, 23, was the secondhighest scorer in the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season with 419 runs. Though CSK, which bought him for ~20 lakh in 2019, is yet to give him a game, being part of the squad has other rewards. “The experience of being in CSK last season was overwhelming. I’m a changed player,” Gaikwad said. “I got to learn from Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson...
“I used to ask Dhoni a lot of questions, and he would calmly listen and give suggestions. He helped me a lot on staying calm on the field, ways to do it, and what one needs to think...Mentally, I have improved a lot.” And when Dhoni smashes you in the nets, you can run to Harbhajan Singh for advice before the next delivery, like Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore did after being roped in by CSK in 2019.
Gaikwad said: “If IPL doesn’t happen, it will be a setback. I was looking forward to the season and hoping to get a chance, play with big names… CSK is all about getting players mentally ready and giving them space. They don’t stress too much about technique; after a time you have to be mentally strong to perform consistently at the top level.”
For young pacer Shivam Mavi, it adds to the frustration. A member of the victorious 2018 U-19 World Cup team, the genuine quick joined KKR last season, but missed out due to injury. “I thought when I return this year,
I’ll perform and be considered for the top level,” Mavi said.
Mumbai bowler Tushar Deshpande, 24, bought by Delhi Capitals for ~20 lakh in this year’s auction too bemoaned the missed opportunity. Mumbai’s second highest wicket-taker in Mushtaq Ali, he said: “It (would) help improve my execution as there is a huge difference between firstclass and IPL. I have never played before packed stadiums, so was looking forward to it. I was looking forward to interacting with (SA fast bowler) Kagiso Rabada and Ishant Sharma, and (coach) Ricky Ponting.”
For 21-year-old Vidarbha allrounder with Kings XI, Darshan Nalkande, the IPL was his chance to train with the world’s best. “Even if you don’t get to play, you learn a lot interacting. The training facilities are top notch. Last year, Ryan Harris was our bowling coach and he helped me with game awareness.
“One thing I learnt during my first season was one needs to improve skills constantly to be successful over a long period. If IPL doesn’t happen, it will be a great loss as I will miss out on quality training over the next two months.”