After a horrible show at the T20 World Cup in Dubai last year, expectations were high from Team India to deliver this time and clinch the elusive title in Australia. But, despite changing the captain and the coach and the ‘intent’, the Men in Blue choked once again in the crucial knock-out match as they were thrashed by England in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Adelaide.
Considered one of the best teams in the world with an ocean of talent at their disposal, India have failed to live upto the expectations for quite some time now. Sadly, the Men in Blue have failed to win the ICC tournaments for nearly a decade now. Team India previously lost the final of the 2014 T20 World Cup before losing the World Cup semifinals in 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2022. Besides this, team India lost the finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship in 2021.
What’s intriguing is that every time the team gets knocked out from a major ICC tournament, the Indian Premier League (IPL) becomes the first casualty and it was the same case this time as well, as it took moments for #BoycottIPL to trend on Twitter after India bowed out of the T20 World Cup 2022.
Even numerous former cricketers are of opinion that IPL is in some way or the other hindering Team India’s progress, especially when it comes to major international tournaments.
Here are some of the statements made by legends of the game apropos IPL after India’s recent exit from the T20 World Cup:
Sunil Gavaskar: “Changes will be there. Jab aap World Cup me jeet nahi sakte, changes honge. Hamne vo dekha hai ki jo New Zealand ke liye team jaa rahi hai, usme changes hue hain. ye jo ‘workload-workload’ ki baatein chalti hai, Kirti aur Madan ne sahi kaha ki workload sirf Bharat ke liye khelne ke liye kyun hota hai?” (When you can’t win World Cup, there will be changes. The team for New Zealand has changes. But everytime we talk about this ‘workload’, why does it only happen when they play for India?)
“Aap IPL khelte hain, poora season khelte hain, vahan aap travelling karte hain… sirf pichhla IPL 4 centres me hua tha, baaki sab jagah aap idhar-udhar daudte rehte hain. Vahan par aapko thakaan nahi hoti? Vahan workload nahi hota? Sirf jab Bharat ke liye khelna hota hai, vo bhi tab jab aap non-glamorous countries me jaate hain, tab aapka workload banta hai? Ye baat galat hai.” (You play in whole season of IPL, travel from one place to other. You don’t get tired there? Is there no workload? Only when you play for India, especially when you have to tour a non-glamorous country, you remember workload? This is wrong).
Wasim Akram: “Sabko yehi that ki IPL se India ko bara fark padega because IPL started in 2008. Usse pehle India 2007 me T20 World Cup jitee. Jabse se IPL shuru huyi hai, aaj tak, abhi bhi unfortunately, India kabhi T20 World Cup nehi jita. So usse phir ek question udhta hai ki kya fark padta hai ki, jo main ek interview sunn raha tha abhi, ki unke players jo overseas jaake leagues nehi khelte, ek extra league khelne ki bhi permission milo jaye, kya fark padega innlogon ki approach main?” (Everyone thought India would benefit from IPL. It started in 2008. India won the T20 World Cup in 2007. But since the start of IPL, India never won the T20 World Cup. So the question arises, I was just listening to an interview, will India’s approach change if they are allowed to play overseas leagues?)
Michael Vaughan: “India are the most under-performing white-ball team in history. Every player in the world who goes to the Indian Premier League says how it improves their game but what have India ever delivered? Since winning the 50 over World Cup on home soil in 2011 what have they done? Nothing. India are playing a white-ball game that is dated and have done for years.”
Now the question arises – is it right to blame IPL for India’s poor show in ICC tournaments?
Well, it’s a grey area. To put it in simple words, everything has its pro and cons and IPL is no exception.
But, first thing first, India’s performance in ICC tournaments has nothing to do with IPL or the tosses or the pitches on offer. India have choked in ICC tournaments because they haven’t played to their potential – a fact that is hard to digest for many.
It’s a human tendency to put blame on one or the other thing as soon as something goes wrong or against their expectations and in India, where cricket is no less than a religion, fans will always resort to blame game whenever the national team will fail to deliver at the grandest stages of them all – World Cup.
Now, coming to the IPL, the lucrative league to some extent justify its tagline, which reads – ‘where talent meets the opportunity’. Not only IPL has been a platform for youngsters to showcase their talent and learn from legends of the game but it has also served as an opportunity for senior players to hone their skills.
However, one can argue that IPL has also been one of the main reasons behind the injuries of key players ahead of major tournaments, but it is to be noted that it’s completely players’ choice to be a part of the auction and participate in the world’s best T20 league.
If a player feels that he cannot manage the work-load and need to give rest to his body in order to stay fit for his national duty, then he must do what players like Mitchell Starc, Kylie Jamieson, Ben Stokes did – opt out of IPL. Why blame a whole league when it’s the player’s decision to be part of it?
Some also say that certain players only perform in IPL and not in international games. Again, it’s an individual problem if he is unable to soak the pressure and deliver it on big stages. In fact, with top players around the world being part of the IPL, it only serves the purpose of getting enough exposure and preparing for major international tournaments.
Yes, IPL is a hectic tournament, yes, it does demand a lot from players, and yes, players are prone to get injured while playing two months of continuous cricket. However, the point here is that a player is responsible towards both – his country and his franchise, but, how much weightage and importance should be given to which team totally depends on a player. Hence, the idea of blaming the whole league for an individual’s certain choices is quite vague and insensate in itself.
Also, it’s the BCCI that allows contracted players to take part in IPL hence league again can’t be blamed. If the Indian cricket board thinks that the national team misses out on key services of important players due to work overload, injury issues, or tight scheduling, then the board should simply implement new policies for workload segregation or to prevent their players from participating in the IPL ahead of the important ICC tournaments. But, is the BCCI brave enough to bring in comprehensive reforms and suffer financially?
Fun Fact: England pacer Sam Curran, who was named the ICC Player of the Tournament after his superb returns throughout the T20 World Cup 2022, credited IPL for his success in the tournament.
“I loved my time there. Learnt a lot from these guys. It is fantastic learning from guys who have played in these tournaments and big occasions. I am always trying to keep learning and improving,” Curran said in the post-match presentation.
Last year, it was New Zealand star Tim Southee who hailed IPL and dubbed it one of the main reasons behind the Black Caps making it to the final of the T20 World Cup in Dubai.
Apparently, foreign players are benefitting from the IPL, but as per the critics and many fans, the Indian Premier League has been a curse for the Team India players. What an irony!
To be honest, more than the IPL, it’s the team management, work-load management, team selection, scouting of players, responsibilities of team members, captaincy, and lack of intent, which should be questioned when India fail to deliver.
Moreover, to hold IPL responsible for everything that goes wrong with The Men in Blue is counter-productive for Indian cricket. It will mean the real reasons don’t get addressed and the problems continue to persist.
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