The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has requested various IPL teams to rest some of their key players to manage the workload as the ICC T20 World Cup commences from October.
Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya missed out on their match against Chennai Super Kings. The decision of benching the two MI players was reportedly due to BCCI’s request to rest their key players ahead of the ICC mega event.
A senior BCCI official said, “Rohit Sharma is a key player in the World Cup and we don’t want to take any risk. Mumbai Indians did the right thing by resting him for the first match. He still has a bruise on his knee. We have advised both Rohit and Mumbai Indians to consider the World Cup as a priority and take adequate rest.”
Mumbai Indians will have to deal with this situation more than anyone else as they have six Indian players who are in the 15-man World Cup squad. Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, and Rahul Chahar are the players in Mumbai Indians who are also present in the T20 World Cup squad.
The BCCI official, commenting on Bumrah’s playtime said, “Bumrah has done well in terms of fitness. But obviously, he is a key player in not just World Cup but also the Test against New Zealand. He is eager to play all the matches in IPL but managing his workload will be crucial. We have advised Mumbai to consider that. But it is up to them to take a call. BCCI cannot force a franchise to rest a player if he is not carrying any injury.”
The cricket governing body of India is requesting the franchises to prioritize the T20 World Cup while selecting the team. This will give the players a better chance to rejuvenate and be ready for the World Cup.