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The Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman, Arun Singh Dhumal, has responded strongly against the claims, which suggest that the competition is to be blamed for the recurring injuries to Indian players of late.
Team India are in a tricky spot at the moment with some of their biggest players riddled with long-term injuries.
The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Shreyas Iyer will not play for the foreseeable future and the management is worried about the workload of players in the IPL ahead of the crucial World Test Championship (WTC) final, which begins on June 7 at The Oval.
Deepak Chahar's injury woes continued after he sustained a hamstring injury in Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) recent win over the Mumbai Indians (MI), adding fuel to the fire. The pacer is expected to undergo scans to assess the extent of the injury and is expected to miss out on a few games.
Rajat Patidar, on the other hand, came into IPL 2023 with some serious doubts surrounding his participation. He reported to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) training camp with a heel injury, which ruled him out of the entire tournament. RCB have roped in Vyshak Vijay Kumar as a replacement player for the season.
Stating that the fingers should not be pointed at the IPL for the players' injury woes, Arun Singh Dhumal told the Indian Express:
"The problem in our country is that whosoever makes money, be it a company or individual, he is seen with suspicion. Virat Kohli has been playing IPL for so many years, he’s never been injured. Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami never got injured. Does it have anything to do with the IPL?"
Citing Shreyas Iyer as an example whose injury had nothing to do with the cash-rich league, Dhumal continued:
"Shreyas Iyer got injured but not because of the IPL. Just because they make money through IPL, we start blaming IPL for anything and everything. Injuries are an integral part of any sport. Our badminton stars are getting injured. They don’t play in the IPL. There are so many stars who are coming from overseas and playing in the IPL."
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain is set to undergo surgery soon to treat his back injury, which rules him out of IPL 2023 entirely as well as the WTC final.
"They will have to make a choice" - Arun Singh Dhumal on players' longevity
The idea of players playing all three formats regularly along with full-fledged franchise cricket is as far-fetched as they come.
Without workload management, players will burn out or sustain recurring injuries given the complexities in the cricketing calendar.
Opining that players might have to sacrifice a format to prolong their careers, Arun Singh Dhumal said:
"In case we have to see longevity for a cricketer, they will have to make a choice. Either keep playing every format, every game for a few years or rest for some matches and make a long career."
Rumors are making the rounds suggesting that some Indian players might be rested in IPL 2023 to manage their workload ahead of the WTC final.
Is the IPL responsible in any way for the ongoing injury crisis? Let us know what you think.
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