"IPL came 2-3 years late in the careers of icon players" - Saba Karim

Former Indian wicketkeeper Saba Karim believes Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid would have benefitted if the Indian Premier League (IPL) had been formed earlier.

Karim opined that since the 'Fantastic Four' of Indian cricket were approaching the end of their careers, it was difficult for them to adjust to the shortest format. The 54-year-old believes this could be a reason for them not having staggering numbers in T20s.

Speaking on the YouTube podcast 'Khelneeti', here's what Saba Karim had to say:

"IPL came 2-3 years late in the careers of icon players. The track record of players like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly has been brilliant in white-ball cricket. So for them, it would have been easier for them to adjust to T20 cricket."

Karim added:

"I think they tried a lot, but since it was the last leg of their careers, it took time to adjust to T20s."

Tendulkar enjoyed the most fruitful career in the Indian Premier League among the four players, accumulating 2334 runs in 78 matches. Dravid, meanwhile, played 89 matches and scored 2174 runs, while Ganguly recorded 1349 runs in 54 matches.

Laxman enjoyed the least success, making just 282 runs in 20 IPL matches.

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IPL can be compared to any international sports league: Saba Karim

Saba Karim believes the Indian Premier League has grown into one of the best leagues in the world, not just in the sport of cricket but across different sports. The kind of money that has been generated and the number of eyeballs that it grabs is something that the 54-year-old has been highly impressed with. He stated:

"IPL has reached the level of football leagues and we are progressing continuously. Because of the TV revenue and that has been generated and the reach that it has gained, it has become a matured league. We can compare it to any international sports league."

The 15th season of the Indian Premier League will begin on March 27 with the Chennai Super Kings taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders.