Image Credit- PTI
When you learn that Glenn Maxwell’s highest IPL strike
at all venues where he has played at least 10 innings is 178.05, at the
Wankhede, it begins to make more sense why he stood on one leg to produce a
thrilling double hundred against Afghanistan in Mumbai. With 16 deliveries left
in the semi-final at Eden Gardens, Pat Cummins dismissed David Miller, the
Gujarat Titans’ go-to finisher for the previous two seasons, off a slower short
ball, maybe due in part to his time spent with the Kolkata Knight Riders.
With India as its centre and the Indian Premier League
as its beating heart, drawing the best players from around the globe, the
cricket world has changed significantly in the recent past. These cricket
players play hundreds of matches over the course of almost three months,
travelling to various locations, seeing various cultures, exchanging notes, and
learning everything there is to know about pitches, outfields, dew, and other
factors that frequently come into play. With every year that goes by, cricketers
from abroad are learning every detail about IPL stadiums, making India a less
intimidating place to play.
However, since Indian players are prohibited from
participating in foreign leagues, the same cannot be said of them in comparison
to players in Australia, England, or South Africa. True, India is winning more
Test matches and going on longer tours, but only a small portion of Test
players play in all competitions. These days, white ball tours—which consist of
ODIs and T20Is depending on the ICC tournament cycle they are in—don’t last
longer than two weeks, and the only multi-team competition in which India frequently
competes is the Asia Cup. Travelling cricketers from Australia, England, South
Africa, and New Zealand therefore have more global experience to rely on in ICC
competitions than a top-tier Indian player.
If skill were the determining factor, India would have
been exposed in ten out of eleven games prior to their World Cup final loss to
Australia. Therefore, temperament becomes important, particularly when
contrasting them with a group of Australians who have perfected the ability to
read situations just as well as, if not more so than, Indians. These
Australians know how to win in India. The most well-known person to have
elaborated on this on his YouTube channel is Ravichandran Ashwin.
How seldom India plays away from home these days is a
topic that frequently loses traction amid the idea of the IPL giving foreign
players a real platform. India has hosted Australia in 14 One-Day
Internationals (ODIs) during the past five years, but has only played six
bilateral matches away as part of a new touring model funded by broadcasters
that aims to make India the focal point of world cricket. The fact that
Australia won seven of those 14 games—exactly the correct win/loss ratio to
have maintained Australia in the running for the World Cup, even though it
appeared they would not be in the running even a month before the competition
started—will also be blatantly acknowledged.
The ODI World Cup in 2027 will take place in South
Africa. The US and the Caribbean will jointly host two of the next three T20
World Cups (2024 and 2028), followed by Australia and New Zealand. The IPL is
extremely profitable, to put it mildly. It provides the largest prize money,
richest sponsorships, and the best contracts. Furthermore, given India’s busy
international calendar, the BCCI is entirely within its rights to limit the
potential for injury in order to safeguard both its and the players’ interests.
However, perhaps it’s time to review that policy.
In the long run, denying Indian cricket players the
opportunity to participate in the Big Bash, The Hundred, or the SA T20 league
limits their exposure to a variety of opponents and conditions. These days,
it’s not hard to imagine Indians playing overseas because IPL teams have stakes
in practically every foreign league.
For example, Jasprit Bumrah to play for MI Cape Town
or Rishabh Pant for the Pretoria Capitals, all they now need is a nod of
approval from the BCCI. Imagine them sharing knowledge that can only be
acquired through a few bilateral one-day sessions regarding Newlands,
Wanderers, and Centurion during the 2027 World Cup. Now wouldn’t that be a
great advantage?