New Delhi: The Indian Premier League is the biggest cricket league in the world not only in terms of size but also in terms of quality and money.
IPL 2022 is set to be a long season with two more teams – Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans – added to the league from this year.
While IPL is still around the world, it has been blamed all the time for its negative impact on international teams.
For example, after losing the Ashes this year, former England players and experts have argued that English players preferring the IPL has led to the downfall of Test cricket in England.
Indian off-spinner R Ashwin has come out bashing such criticism in his latest episode on his YouTube channel.
He said that today cricketers are involved in many international events and IPL is only a part of them. There are also several world events, T20 leagues and domestic leagues. So it is not right to separate IPL.
He said, “IPL has been under the radar for so many years. Suddenly, a former cricketer will say something bad about IPL for no reason. Imagine the situation in 2008 or 2010. Only 20-25 cricketers were in the Indian setup to represent Team India.
Ashwin also spoke about how Indian cricket has benefited from the IPL. “Even when I started out, my parents and grandparents asked me if cricket would help me financially. Only 15-20 or 25 cricketers will get chances in a span of 10 years. But now, because of IPL, every year at least 75-80 Indian cricketers are getting opportunities.
“It doesn’t stop with IPL alone. Players get an opportunity to play in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and showcase their talent there as well. Apart from this, players also get opportunities in media, coaching setup, or some other ecosystem setup. It gives them opportunities. This is a big tick for the IPL.”
(with agency input)