T20 World Cup 2022: Difficult to let Indian players play overseas T20 leagues – Rahul Dravid

Indian head coach Rahul Dravid admitted that it is difficult to let Indian players play in the overseas T20 leagues. As per the current rules, active Indian players can not take part in the T20 leagues across the globe. The question took attention when India suffered a humiliating loss of 10 wickets against England in the second semi-final at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

As they are not allowed to play in other T20 leagues, Indian players didn’t have the experience of playing in the BBL while the England players did have the same experience.

Dravid feels that a lot of T20 leagues run parallel to their domestic season and if the players take in the T20 tournaments, then the domestic competitions will suffer.

“It’s tough. I think it’s very difficult for Indian cricket because a lot of these tournaments happen right in the peak of our season,” Dravid said.

“I think it’s a huge challenge for us. Yes, I think a lot of our boys maybe do miss out on the opportunities of playing in a lot of these leagues, but if you were to… it’s really up to the BCCI to make that decision, but the thing is it’s right in the middle of our season, and with the kind of demand there would be for Indian players, if you allowed all the Indian players to play in these leagues, we would not have a domestic cricket. Our domestic trophy, our Ranji Trophy would be finished, and that would mean Test cricket would be finished.

“I know a lot of people talk about it, but we have to be very careful… We have to understand the challenges that Indian cricket faces or the BCCI would face in a situation like this. You’d see all our boys…like a lot of boys being asked to play leagues right bang in the middle of our season. We’ve seen what that’s done to West Indian cricket, and I would definitely not want Indian cricket to go that way. It would certainly affect our Ranji Trophy; it would affect Test cricket. Indian boys playing Test cricket is pretty important for the Test game, as well, I would think.”

On the other hand, Dravid hailed the opening pair of Alex Hales and Jos Buttler, who stitched a match-winning stand of 170 runs. Hales scored a blistering knock of 86 runs while Buttler scored 80 runs to get their team over the line with four overs to spare.

“The ball didn’t swing here probably as much as it has in other parts of Australia or in other conditions. Played a little bit into their hands, and class players like that, both Buttler and Hales, I thought their partnership was fantastic today. I think they just put the pressure on us, never let that go, and even when our spinners came on on a wicket that we thought we might be able to control the game, they really counterattacked our spinners, as well, and put our spinners under a lot of pressure.

“Once they got off to that kind of start, I think they could really sit back and control the run rate. We had 168. They brought that run rate down to six and a half I think by the time the sixth over was finished, or seven runs an over, and then on a small ground like that, they were always in control, so they were going to control that game.

“They didn’t really need to take too many risks. They could sit back and — not that they didn’t take them; they played some really good shots right through. But yeah, these things happen. Yeah, it’s disappointing. Debacle I’m not sure is the right word, but disappointing certainly.”

Rahul Dravid has been rested for the New Zealand series and VVS Laxman will coach the team.