cricket

Updated: Jan 01, 2019 13:07 IST

There has been a lot of debate over whether the Indian bowlers should be rested in the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League with the World Cup round the corner. While India skipper Virat Kohli mooted the idea during a meeting with the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) in Hyderabad during the second Test against West Indies, former India skipper MS Dhoni recently said that the four overs that the bowlers bowl in the IPL actually help them work on their skill sets.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, a senior BCCI executive said that it was impossible to convince the franchises on the same as they are paying huge amount of money to recruit the players and unless it is a case of fitness, it will be unfair on them.

“See, this discussion did take place during the meeting between the players and the CoA and there was no conclusion because you have to understand that the teams are paying the players to pay, not rest. Yes, if there is an injury concern, then it is fine for the board to intervene and ask them to keep the players away from games. But, to tell a franchise that do not play X because we have the World Cup coming up is unfair. Not just on the franchises, but also on the players,” the executive explained.

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Recently, Dhoni said: “Bowling four overs won’t make you tired. The four overs actually keeps you at your best, you are bowling the yorkers, bowling the variation and playing under pressure. I feel the bowlers can still play the whole of the IPL but what they need to manage is what they eat, when they sleep and wake up.

“I would like them to be at their best when it comes to the skill factor. I always felt IPL was the best time to get in shape because I had a lot of time. I was playing only three and a half hours every third day and it gave me time to spend in the gym.”

Taking a cue from that, the executive said that if it was about rest, then the batsmen too should rest. “If a Bumrah needs rest, so does Virat Kohli. In fact, if you look at the data over the last couple of seasons — excluding the time he was out with shoulder injury — Kohli has spent more time in the middle than any bowler would have. Resting them after bowling four overs? I think our bowlers are much fitter than that. Maybe we should think about resting the top batsmen,” the executive smiled.

Interestingly, Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma had supposedly told the CoA during the same meeting in October that it would be impossible for him to drop a player like Jasprit Bumrah if the franchise reaches the play-offs of the IPL.