Opinion: Why shouldn't the IPL style playoffs be introduced in the World Cup?

The 2019 World Cup final was a cricket lover’s delight—a match with fluctuating fortunes and a controversial ending. Prior to that game, the two semifinals saw the top two teams in the points table crash out of the tournament.

In doing a post mortem of the World Cup final, there were talks of introducing the IPL style playoffs instead of two semifinals, with two knockout games certain to give the teams a little breathing space. Simply put, the top two teams would be given an extra chance to make it into the final, in case either of the teams lose out the first qualifier into the final.

Why this shouldn’t be instituted in the World Cup?

The reason why the IPL style playoffs should be kept at bay is that it significantly impacts the players' rest and recovery time.

Let's say the first playoff (between the first-place team and the second-place team) is played on a Sunday; the second playoff (between the third-place team and the fourth-place team) is played on Monday, and the third playoff (between the losers of both playoffs) is played on Thursday.

The team that wins the first playoff essentially has six days to rest and recover mentally and physically whereas the other finalist will have just two days to rest and recover for the final with the burden of having to play an extra game.

Also, if there is a rain-interruption in the first or the second playoff, it will severely affect the schedule of other playoffs.

Conclusion

The introduction of the IPL-style playoff format instead of the traditional two knockout semifinals will put the team that wins the first playoff in pole position, the reason being longer time for players to recover and re-strategize their game plan. Hence, in order to provide an equal chance for all teams, the conventional method is best.

Note: The views of the author do not reflect the views of Sportskeeda.