Indian wicket-keeping batsman Wriddhiman Saha feels that playing the remaining matches of IPL 2021 without foreign players would be like playing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Saha on playing IPL 2021 without Foreign Players
Owing to the surge in COVID19 positive cases BCCI decides to postpone the IPL 2021. BCCI seeks all possible ways to host the remaining matches of the cash-rich league inside or outside India.
One of the major problems that arise with this decision is the inclusion of foreign players in the rescheduled IPL 2021. Notably many foreign tours get clash with the IPL 2021 if it rescheduled later this year.
Apart from all these, players will have to enter the mandatory quarantine periods in prior to get part in the tournament. This could really a devastating move for the players who plays in back-to-back biosecure bubble matches.
With the possibility of the event resuming without a majority of overseas stars, Saha reckons the league will be reduced to just an enhanced version of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – India’s domestic T20 competition.
“Majority of the foreigners are from Australia, England and the West Indies. So I personally feel the resumption of the league this year is doubtful. Without the overseas players, IPL will just be an enhanced version of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” Saha told Sportskeeda.
There were several media reports that the BCCI has had informal discussions with the England and Wales Cricket Board about tweaking the India-England Test series schedule to accommodate the remainder of IPL 2021.
It was widely reported that the BCCI wants ECB to advance the start of the Test series by a week to ensure an early finish to India’s UK tour and thus giving the cricket board more time to host the remaining IPL matches.
However, as per another report, ECB have denied receiving any formal request from their Indian counterpart of any such nature, saying the series will go ahead as per the original schedule.
India Test squad leg by Virat Kohli is in Mumbai from where they depart for UK in the first week of June. From June 18, they will first face New Zealand in the final of the ICC World Test Championship while from August 4, they take on England in a five-match series.
