Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has raised concerns about the scheduling of the 2024 IPL season by the BCCI, pointing out that the T20 World Cup begins just days after the league final in Chennai. Harbhajan emphasized the need for the Indian T20 World Cup squad to have 4-5 practice games before their campaign kicks off on June 5 in New York. However, his former teammate Anil Kumble believes that playing in the IPL is the best preparation for the ICC tournament.
England players, who are part of the T20 World Cup squad, have already bid farewell to their IPL franchises to return home for preparation. They are set to play T20I matches against Pakistan before heading to the ICC event. Harbhajan expressed disappointment in the BCCI’s scheduling, suggesting that they could have arranged similar practice games for the Indian team.
Kumble, on the other hand, as an IPL Expert on JioCinema, believes that the 14-17 IPL matches are sufficient preparation for the Indian players. He mentioned that those not involved in the playoffs will leave early to acclimatize to the conditions in New York.
The decision of England players to leave before the IPL playoffs has sparked criticism, with veteran cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar calling for a pay cut. Kumble defended the move, stating that franchises were aware of the players’ departure and had backups in place. He reiterated that playing in the IPL provides excellent preparation for the T20 World Cup.
Overall, the debate between Harbhajan and Kumble highlights the different perspectives on the importance of IPL matches in preparing for the upcoming T20 World Cup.