T20 World Cup – IPL 2021 Load Hurts? The biggest league in the sport of cricket (IPL 2021) just before the biggest tournament in the sport (T20 World Cup) is giving jitters to the BCCI and its selectors. The load and the pressure in IPL can break bodies & the players mentally. Indian selectors are keeping keen an eye on the IPL according to a top BCCI official and are a concerned lot on two accounts – first form of few of the players & secondly the injuries & niggle to the others. Hardik Pandya’s injury, Ishan Kishan’s form & rest for the key fast bowlers before the T20 World Cup are the key areas of concerns for the selectors.
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“See, the selectors are keeping eye on the IPL. Players form and more importantly there fitness all is under the scanner. Selectors are little jittery on players like Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma. They are very important for the team & obviously everyone wants them fully fit before the T20 World Cup. IPL teams are ready to cooperate on rest to some of our fast bowlers”, said the BCCI official to InsideSport.co
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T20 World Cup: With eye on World Cup, IPL 2021 load & performance making Indian selectors ‘little jittery’
T20 World Cup – IPL 2021 Load Hurts? According to the top BCCI official InsideSport.co spoke to, selectors are concerne about 3 key areas.
Reason 1: Whether Hardik Pandya will get fully fit to bowl? Pandya who has been named in the team as a allrounder is yet to play in IPL 2021 Phase 2. Due to unspecified ‘niggle’, he sat out for Mumbai Indians first two matches in UAE. His team coaches have been quoted as saying, ’that he is just carrying small niggle’. No one has an idea about the exact nature of his injury. Selectors according to the BCCI sources are worried on Hardik’s fitness. Whether he will be able to ball or not is there ‘big concern area’.
Handling Rohit Sharma with care is another important agenda on the mind of the selectors.
Reason 2: Form of Few Players: Ishan Kishan has been struggling. In 2 matches in UAE he has scored just 25. In entire IPL campaign just 98 in 7 matches @ a average of 14 and strike rate of just 88. Same is the case with Suryakumar Yadav who just has 8 runs in 2 matches he has played in UAE. Rahul Chahar is another one who is being closely watched as he is yet to create any impact.
According to the BCCI official, selectors are keeping close eyes on the performance of these players. The good part is the standby players like Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar have shown some form in the first two games in UAE.
Reason 3: Load of the fast bowlers: All 3 fast bowlers in the squad for T20 World Cup are also very important part of their IPL franchises. Managing workload for Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar & Mohammed Shami is the big concern area for the selectors.
“All 3 are in fine fettle, it’s a matter of keeping them injury free. We are hopeful that IPL teams will cooperate and give them rest for few of the matches”, said the BCCI official.
“Bumrah has done well in terms of fitness. But obviously, he is a key player in not just World Cup but also the Test against New Zealand. He is eager to play all the matches in IPL but managing his workload will be crucial. We have advised Mumbai to consider that. But it is up to them to take a call. BCCI cannot force a franchise to rest a player if he is not carrying any injury,” the BCCI official said.
T20 World Cup: With eye on World Cup, IPL 2021 load & performance making Indian selectors ‘little jittery’
IPL 2021 – BCCI to franchises, rest T20 World Cup-bound players: InsideSport has already informed its readers that BCCI after being urged by the Indian selectors have reached out to the franchises to “look after” the T20 WC bound players.
“Yes we have spoken to the franchises, we are very hopeful and assured by all the franchises that they will cooperate on the account of managing workload for the T2O World Cup squad members”, said another BCCI official to InsideSport.co
Check how all T20 World Cup bound Indian cricketers are fairing in the IPL Phase 2 in UAE –
VIRAT KOHLI
Innings – 2, Runs – 58, Top score – 53
The half-century against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) clearly showed he is in good touch. He opened for RCB but is unlikely to do so in the T20 World Cup.
ROHIT SHARMA
Innings – 1, Runs – 33
Little concern is his fitness. He missed Mumbai Indians’ first match due to knee injury. He played the 2nd match and scored 33 runs off 30 balls but concerns about his fitness stays the grey area.
KL RAHUL
Innings – 2, Runs – 70
In the two matches Punjab Kings played last week, he scored 49 off just 33 balls & 21 off 21 balls vs SRH. His strike rate in the 1st match was 148 & his form is a good omen for India.
SURYAKUMAR YADAV
Innings – 2, Runs – 8
Suryakumar Yadav was in England for 45 Days, did not play a single match. The lack of match practice is showing in his form. In UAE, up till now he hasn’t score much (5 and 3) in the two matches but he is too good a player to stay quiet for a long time.
RISHABH PANT
Innings – 2, Runs – 59
His knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad was a good indication of what he can do for his team. A mix of caution and aggression is what he will be needed to provide in the middle-order if the top-order fails.
ISHAN KISHAN
Innings – 2, Runs – 25
The biggest concern area for the selectors is Ishan Kishan’s form. He has got berth in the World Cup squad on the back of great IPL 2020 and his debut innings for India – but since than he hasn’t done much & selectors are getting concerned about the same.
HARDIK PANDYA
Innings – 0, Runs – 0, Wickets – 0
He has sat out both the MI matches so far triggering questions over his selection for the World Cup. He has been facing injury issues for some time now and lack of clear communication on his continued absence from the field is making people suspicious.
RAVINDRA JADEJA
Innings – 2, Runs – 26, Wickets – 0
He helped stabilize CSK innings in the first game to assure everyone that they can rely on his batting. But the same can’t be said about his bowling anymore.
RAHUL CHAHAR
Innings – 2, Wickets – 0
He has been preferred over Yuzvendra Chahal in the World Cup squad for his faster leg-spin. In the two games he played, Rahul managed to keep the opposition under check in one game while in the other game, he was expensive. He also didn’t get any wicket.
JASPRIT BUMRAH
Innings – 2, Wickets – 5
He has been among wickets, though a little expensive. He is coming from a Test series, and might take some time to adjust to T20 cricket lines and lengths. He needs to watch his workload more than wickets.
RAVICHANDRAN ASHWIN
Innings – 2, Wickets – 1
He bowled well and managed to keep batters under control. He is also very experienced and has many tricks, but he is expected to influence matches. Can he?
AXAR PATEL
Innings – 2, Wickets – 3
He bowled well in both the games, taking 3 wickets for 48 runs. He hasn’t got many chances to bat this whole season, but he can be effective down the order.
VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY
Innings – 2, Wickets – 3
He started with a bang bowling a matchwinning spell of 3 for 13 and helped his side skittle RCB for 92. In the next game, he didn’t get any wickets, but he was economical.
BHUVNESHWAR KUMAR
Innings – 2, Wickets – 1
He bowled three overs for 21 runs against DC & 4 Overs for 34 Runs against Punjab Kings. He hasn’t played much cricket in the run up to the second phase of IPL. Besides bowling enough overs, he needs to ensure that he stays injury-free.
MOHAMMED SHAMI
Innings – 2, Wickets – 5
He bowled well against RR, taking 3 for 21 & brilliant spell against Sunrisers. He bowled well in England too. So, he is in good form. Like Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar, he too needs to keep an eye on his workload and ensure he stays injury-free.
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