IPL 2023 Final: Fulfil sponsor and fan commitments and risk injuries? Or safeguard the players with an important WTC Final 2023 just 7 days away? BCCI chose the former as despite opposition from Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra and captain Hardik Pandya, IPL final resumed after a two-hour rain break. But the outfield was still wet, raising the question should BCCI risk injuries to important players like Mohammad Shami and Ravindra Jadeja ahead of the WTC Final? Follow IPL 2023 LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN
Despite starting on May 28, IPL 2023 Final, stretched to Day 3. However, the rain returned to disrupt, much like that annoying YouTube Ad while watching a video. After a delay of over 2 hours, the umpire decided to resume the game despite noticing a few wet patches around the pitch.
While the resumption of the game delighted the CSK and GT fans, the Indian fan inside them did have some concerns.
The World Test Championship final between India and Australia is set to take place on June 7 at Oval, London. While most of the players have reached the UK, Mohammad Shami and Ravindra Jadeja are still in India along with Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane, representing GT and CSK, respectively, in the final.
The bigger concern is with Jadeja and Shami. The latter will need to bowl 3 overs on a wet surface, risking India’s WTC Final campaign.
With the Indian team already grappling with injuries to big players such as KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant, it raises some big concerns.
During the pitch inspection, Gujarat Titans’ bowling coach Ashish Nehra was constantly in an animated conversation with the umpires, stating the risk his players will be in if the play resumes.
While commentators Scott Styris saw it as a concern of a GT coach as the resumption would have given CSK an advantage, fellow commentators Brett Lee and AB de Villiers felt that it could also be to protect Mohammad Shami from picking any injury, considering the WTC final is just a week away.
The BCCI must strike a delicate balance between player safety and the demands of high-profile tournaments. It is crucial to prioritize the long-term welfare of the players over short-term gains. In this case, it could have been prudent to just wait for the pitch to dray completely rather than risking key players’ participation for the sake conclusion of IPL.
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