Indian players will have to choose between IPL & World Cup – After Kapil, another player slams Team India

Indian players have come under the scanner for giving importance to IPL rather than the ICC T20 World Cup. Men in Blue have performed below their standards in the global tournament, which resulted in their exit from the Super 12 stage.

Former cricketer Madan Lal highlighted “several reasons” for the poor display of the team in the UAE. He stated players were more interested in the Indian Premier League. The former India all-rounder said the players looked tired due to too much cricket ahead of the World Cup.

“They came directly to the World Cup after playing in the IPL. Before that, they were in England (for the Test series). Now that is the problem… they could have opted out of the league (IPL). They should have taken some rest before the World Cup. I guess players need to decide what is more important for them, playing in major tournaments like World Cup or the IPL? It’s not just any series, it’s the World Cup,” he told IANS.

“Also, we all know how different this (T20) format is. Too much action involved here. Look at the way fresh Pakistan is doing, England is playing,”

The cricketer also mentioned the confusion over Hardik Pandya’s fitness as one of the reasons behind the team’s below-par run. “Was he fit or unfit? Will he bowl or not? Such confusions were disturbing.”

He also questioned the change in the batting order against New Zealand. “Whosoever has taken it (the decision), it was wrong. Rohit Sharma has been consistently performing well in the opening. How can you remove him from that position? Then Virat Kohli’s spot (No. 3) was also changed. Bringing Shardul Thakur in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the right decision though,” he said.