The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 is in its second week and already the top stars have given stunning performances, while some unheralded players have become household names. The IPL will continue till the end of May and from June 7, the Indian cricket team will get down to action against Australia in the final of the World Test Championship. With India not winning any ICC titles since 2013 and several players getting injured recently, several former players, including ex-India coach Ravi Shastri, have suggested that the players who would be playing in the WTC final should be given sufficient rest during the IPL.
In a recent interaction, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal was asked "Put yourself in the shoes of the IPL owners. They have paid money and are within their rights to get the best out of the players. Is it fair to ask the IPL owners to manage the workload of top Indian players?"
Dhumal gave a detailed reply. "The problem in our country is that whosoever makes money, be it a company or individual, he is seen with suspicion. Virat Kohli has been playing IPL for so many years, he's never been injured. Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami never got injured. Does it have anything to do with the IPL? At the same time, you have Raj Angad Bawa getting injured. He's played IPL. Shreyas Iyer got injured but not because of the IPL," Arun Dhumal told Indian Express.
"Just because they make money through IPL, we start blaming IPL for anything and everything. Injuries are an integral part of any sport. Our badminton stars are getting injured. They don't play in the IPL. There are so many stars who are coming from overseas and playing in the IPL. They have not given an excuse that IPL is responsible for their injury. So we have to get out of this mindset. They need to improve their fitness levels.
"Even then, for a medium pace bowler, injuries are bound to happen at some point of time. We have seen stars who have become so disciplined because they know that they need to work hard and retain their fitness level for any format. In case we have to see longevity for a cricketer, they will have to make a choice. Either keep playing every format, every game for a few years or rest for some matches and make a long career. Jimmy Anderson is an example for so many players. At this age, the kind of bowling he is doing and the amount of wickets he has taken, it's phenomenal," Dhumal added.