Anil Kumble credits IPL for youngsters not fearing to play international cricket
"For me, the first initiation of the gym to lift weights was after I got injured and that was after nine years of playing international cricket," he said.
The former India coach Anil Kumble believes that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has changed the dynamics of the cricket in the country. The inception of the T20 tournament has helped the budding Indian cricketers showcase their skills against some of the best cricketers all over the World. They also get the chance to rub the shoulders with them for almost one and a half months. However, Kumble also feels that the youngsters are not fearing about playing international cricket due to the exposure they get in the IPL.
The marquee league will enter in its new decade this year when Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will take the field on April 7. In last 10 years, many of the young guns of India have made it to the national team and are the vital cog of the setup. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin are some of the best examples who have been benefitted after performing in IPL.
Kumble praises IPL
Anil Kumble believed that IPL provides the platform for the youngsters to express themselves fearlessly which the player of his age lacked. “I think the confidence that the current youngsters is something that we did not have at that age. For me, the first initiation of the gym to lift weights was after I got injured and that was after nine years of playing international cricket. That kind of start and advantage they get, and thanks to IPL, the youngsters are rubbing shoulders with international cricketers as well,” he said on the sidelines of Shyam Bhatia Cricket Awards in Dubai.
He also added that the players get benefitted with the fact that they get to know a particular player in about 50 days of cricket while sharing the dressing room with him. “They know what their work ethic is, how they prepare and the mindset that have before a game. They will also know the preparation they do, all of that certainly helps. The interactions they have with these legends is fascinating. Earlier, you would go to Australia once every four years and play them but here every year in the IPL, you’re playing against the same bowlers and batsmen,” Kumble said.
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