Image Source: Ravi Shastri/Twitter
After their ODI series loss against Australia, the Indian players are set to participate in the upcoming 2023 Indian Premier League. The team faced a narrow 21-run loss in the decisive match on Wednesday, prompting Indian captain Rohit Sharma to emphasize the importance of rest for Team India's top performers ahead of crucial international matches. Following the two-month-long IPL, Team India will face Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at The Oval from June 7-11.
In light of the recent spate of injuries affecting the Indian cricket team, former head coach Ravi Shastri has emphasized the importance of managing players' workloads. He points out that the volume of cricket played has increased in recent years, and calls for greater transparency between players and boards in communicating about workload. Notably, injuries have kept Jasprit Bumrah out of the team since September last year, and Shreyas Iyer had to sit out of the ODI series due to a recurring back injury.
“I find it hard to imagine (increase in injuries). You look at the era we played in, the facilities that were available at that time. You found players playing 8-10 years easily. A lot of them would play 8-10 months of the year. I really don't know.. probably the volume of cricket has increased, no questions about that. There are different leagues around the world. The rest period is decreasing,” Shastri told Sports Yaari on the sidelines of the Legends League Cricket in Doha.
“The establishment and players will have to sit across the table. You need that much cricket and you need to give certain break. Even if it happens to be IPL. Board has to take the stand there, tell the franchises, 'listen, we need them. India need them. For India's sake, if he doesn't play those games, it will be good',” Shastri further said.
Starting from March 31, the 2023 Indian Premier League will kick off, and this year holds significant importance for the Indian cricket team. Apart from the World Test Championship Final, the team is gearing up for the home ODI World Cup, slated for October-November.
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