IPL 2021: Break for eight India players before the tournament

Though the dates are yet to be announced, as per reports, the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to get underway from the first or second week of April. Before the tournament starts, India have managed to give rest to eight out of the 10 players, who have been living in the bio-secure bubbles since the 2020 IPL, which started on September 19 in the UAE.

The T20I squad for the series against England was announced recently and barring Washington Sundar and Rishabh Pant, the other eight players would get a decent break before the IPL starts. On Saturday, March 27, Jasprit Bumrah was released after he submitted a personal request. Bumrah won’t be a part of the fourth Test, starting March 4 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

As per Indian Express, the players were given the option to rest before the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the T20I series. In fact, the members of the squad were educated about the mental health risks while living in the bio-secure bubble. The workload management also meant that India rested Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj from the T20Is.

Rohit Sharma could be rested from the ODI series against England

If reports are to be believed, Sundar, Pant, and Rohit Sharma could also be rested from the three-match ODI series scheduled to be held in Pune on March 23, 26, and 28 respectively. India may also play in the final of the World Test Championship in the month of June with the T20 World Cup also scheduled later in the year.

In the meantime, the BCCI, reportedly, has shortlisted six cities for the upcoming IPL edition. Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Bengaluru are the six shortlisted venues.

“Obviously, it’s scary. The earlier idea of hosting it in one or two cities sounded far better. After all, the 2020 edition was conducted between three venues and it went well,” a franchise representative was quoted as saying by The Times of India (TOI).

The BCCI has recently conducted two domestic tournaments- the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy – without much trouble.