Mumbai: Soon after defending champions India exited the 2009 T20 World Cup in England before the semi-finals, then India head coach Gary Kirsten said his players were “exhausted” from the grueling Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa a few months ago.“Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Kirsten stressed that if the cricket schedule continues to be so congested, players may have to withdraw from the IPL before the next World T20.
Kirsten’s observation was not wrong considering that the MS Dhoni & Co had been on the road for quite some time at that time. However, it also gives ammunition to those who blame the Indian Premier League every time India loses on the cricket field.After that press conference in Nottingham, South Africans were gagged by the BCCI.Nearly 17 years have passed and the perception towards the IPL has changed as the Indian team won back-to-back titles in the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups.IPL has emerged as India’s biggest ‘USP’ in white-ball cricket, especially in T20 formats.The group of players who just won the T20 World Cup are essentially the IPL generation players who grew up watching and playing in the league.Start with the captain Suryakumar Yadava team of IPL T20 experts.This is one of the reasons why India looks a cut above the rest, having scored more than 250 runs three times in the tournament and twice in the knockout rounds.“It bridges the gap between domestic cricket and international cricket, which was not the case before. Players now understand how to adapt and perform under pressure, which was lacking before the IPL. They now respond well to pressure and even thrive under pressure,” said former India leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule, who serves as spin bowling coach for the Indian Cricket Association. rajasthan royals (2018-21 and last year) and will play the same role with Kings XI Punjab in IPL-2026, told TOI.Bahutule said things have completely changed for the batsmen.AdvertisementOf course, the league also helped the bowlers.Bahutule said, “Bowling has become increasingly difficult as 200-plus scores are regularly scored in the IPL. But it also encourages bowlers to be innovative and fearless. As you can see, Arsdeep Singh had a plan to bowl to the yorkers and stuck to it, even if he bowled three to four balls. Eventually, he got a wicket,” he said.The former adjuster also feels that in recent years, overseas players have started learning from Indian cricketers and not the other way around.“Players like Abhishek Sharma Ishan Kishan Express yourself fearlessly. Unlike other teams, India’s total score reached 250 easily. Abhishek’s attitude tells you everything about the IPL generation – these guys are not afraid of anything. They just come to attack. If you have played in front of thousands of people in the IPL, similar crowds in international matches will not scare you,” Bahutule said.Former India batsman Pravin Amre, who was the assistant coach of Delhi Capitals from 2015-24, echoes this view and says the league plays a huge role in shaping the temperament of players.“The IPL provides a platform to players to feel like they are not playing in the World Cup. It helps build the ‘character’ of the players because the pressure to win every game is huge,” Amre said.Amre further praised the league, adding: “The IPL helps in producing championship players. Apart from that 76-run loss to South Africa, the way we played, other teams were nowhere near us. The IPL has contributed to this dominance.”Two long-time officials of IPL franchises also told TOI that the league’s vast talent pool continues to drive the success of Indian cricket.Satish Menon, CEO, Kings XI Punjab, said: “IPL has become a funnel for talent. This is probably the largest pool of cricketing talent that any country can dream of. The youngsters get a chance to compete against top international players, which prepares them to don the national colors without fear.”“The world knows Indian cricket’s success in white-ball cricket comes from the IPL. The ability to absorb pressure and thrive in intense situations also comes from it. The IPL has changed the dynamics of T20 cricket,” said Arvinder Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Gujarat Titans.“When IPL started in 2008, 160 runs was the winning score. Then it moved to around 175 runs. Even then, it looked difficult to catch up. More than eight runs seemed out of reach, while more than 10 runs meant the game was almost lost,” said Singh.“Now, even if you’re chasing 225, getting it down to 60 over the last four overs is considered doable. The players, pitches and stadiums are the same – it’s just the mentality that has changed.”Linking it to India’s success in the World Cup, Singh said: “All these players know they have done this many times in the IPL and that is why the Indian team will not buckle under scoreboard pressure.The competition in the IPL is fierce – 74 matches, 10 teams and top players. Sometimes, IPL teams have a stronger bowling attack than international teams.India is in the lead because of the IPL,” he stressed.
