Will RCB rest Virat Kohli for a playoff match? – Saba Karim

Former Indian wicketkeeper Saba Karim believes no franchise will rest their star players in the IPL due to the T20 World Cup. The UAE leg of the cash-rich league will start from September 19 and the T20 World Cup is set to start just two days after the conclusion of the IPL.

There is hardly a break between the two events and the experts are divided about whether the Indian players should be rested for a few games to keep them fresh for the ICC event.

However, Saba Karim feels that Indian players bound for the world event will not be rested as franchises are looking to win the tournament.

“Imagine there is a match in the playoffs and you have to rest Bumrah, will Mumbai Indians do it? They won’t. No franchise would want to do it, be it Delhi or RCB. “This is because they feel their top players should be hundred percent fit for the games. Instead, they would want the players to take a break while playing international games so that they remain fresh during IPL.”

Saba Karim doesn’t expect to see any star player sitting on the bench. “The franchise owners expect their players to be fit when they take the field. But the window is so crowded that I don’t think such thing is possible that the players will be rested.”