Deep Dasgupta Explains The Disadvantage For Indian Players Playing IPL Before T20 World Cup

Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta speaks on the advantages and disadvantages of the Indian players playing the second half of the IPL 2021 right before the T20 World Cup.

The remainder of IPL 2021, which was suspended mid-way in early May due to covid-19 outburst, will take place from mid-September and till mid-October. Days after the conclusion of the season, the T20 World Cup will commence. Both the events will take place in the UAE.

Deep Dasgupta reckons it is an advantage for the Indian players that they will be accustomed to the pitches and conditions in the UAE.

However, he also points out a couple of downside factors: India wouldn’t be going in the World Cup with any T20 international as a team on their back; also the players would feel burned out and fatigued as they play the back-to-back high-intensity series – the Test series in England and the IPL – before the World Cup.

“The other important thing is India would be going straight from IPL. However, playing at the same venues, that’s an advantage, but that can also be a disadvantage because you are not playing as a team in the IPL, you are playing against each other.

“End of the day, it’s a team sport and you need to gel as a team. After IPL, that’s your first assignment as a team,” Deep Dasgupta said in an interview with Sportskeeda.

“The other thing we can’t really neglect is the whole burnout or fatigue because this team which is in England right now will not get a break. From there, they’ll go to IPL, from IPL to World Cup – they’ll be playing non-stop. So you can’t neglect that factor at all,” he added.

India slightly ahead of Pakistan: Deep Dasgupta

India are drawn with Pakistan in Group 2 for the T20 World Cup along with New Zealand, Afghanistan, and two qualifier teams.

Deep Dasgupta feels India will go into the high-voltage clash marginally ahead of Pakistan; apart from India unbeaten record against the neighbours in World Cups, Pakistan are also out of form – they were recently whitewashed in an ODI series by England’s second-string outfit.

“Yes the way Pakistan are playing at this point in time, the current form if you look at it and everything put together, you can say India might be slightly ahead,” the former cricketer opined.

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