World Cup-winning former captain Kapil Dev believes that India’s cricketers “prioritise IPL” over national assignments and the onus is on the BCCI to make better schedules to avoid the “mistakes” committed during the ongoing T20 World Cup.
India failed to make it to the semifinals of the ICC event, paying heavily for the back-to-back early losses in the ‘Super 12’ stage.
New Zealand clinched the last available semifinal spot on Sunday to knock Virat Kohli’s men out of the tournament.
“When players prioritise IPL over playing for the country, what can we say? Players should take pride in playing for their nation. I don’t know their financial condition, so can’t say much,” the 62-year-old former captain told ‘ABP News’ but did not dwell on the specific reason for his statement as the IPL has not clashed with any India matches.
The event did, however, end very close to the T20 World Cup this year because of the scheduling issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“…I feel that first in line should be the country’s team and then franchises. I’m not saying do not play cricket there (IPL), but the responsibility is now on the BCCI to plan its cricket better.”
“To not repeat mistakes we committed in this tournament is the biggest learning for us,” he added.
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah and outgoing bowling coach Bharat Arun had highlighted the issue of mental fatigue for players who have been on the road for close to six months since the IPL began in April.
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