MSK Prasad exposes troubling IPL influence on India's emerging talent

Former Indian chief selector MSK Prasad has expressed his deep concern about the shifting ambitions of young players, saying it is an alarming trend that could shake the foundation of Indian cricket.

Prasad pointed to a disconcerting pattern that has emerged due to the IPL. MSK Prasad said that the lure of the IPL started overshadowing the once-sacred dream of donning the national jersey.

He revealed that the budding cricketers were giving preference to white-ball cricket and IPL stardom over the aspiration of representing India, especially in the red-ball game.

Young Indian cricketers eye IPL fame over national duty, warns MSK Prasad

He also revealed the shocking results of an Under-19 questionnaire a few years ago, which asked young players to write down their ultimate goals. Shockingly, a staggering majority mentioned the IPL as their dream, not the Indian national cricket team, raising alarm bells for Indian cricket.

MSK Prasad was quoted as saying by Revsportz: “I would like to remind you that in the last few years—maybe 14-15 years, ever since the IPL has come—slowly, there is a switch of players’ mindsets from red-ball cricket to white-ball cricket. Ever since that switch has come, everybody wants to play white-ball cricket and eventually play IPL, but not for India.

That is a big, alarming thing. I think a few years ago, in an under-19 World Cup camp, a questionnaire was given to the under-19 team asking what their goals were. 80 percent of them had written IPL, but not Indian team.”

The former Indian chief selector also opined that this shift in mindset has altered not only players’ ambitions but also their technique and approach to the game.

MSK Prasad highlights the shift toward IPL aspirations among young player

With massive importance on hitting through the line and scoring at a quick pace, players have lost the finesse needed to tackle spin and swing bowling—skills that were once hallmarks of Indian cricket.

On being asked whether it is an alarming situation for India, MSK replied by saying, “See, if the whole thing is changing towards that direction of playing white-ball cricket, obviously, the results are going to happen like this only because nobody wants to play.

People have lost that art of playing spin, the art of playing swing bowling. They just want to play with hard hands. They just want to hit through the line. Respect the format that you are playing.”

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly would never do that: Prasad

In the end, Prasad said that Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and other Indian legends would never have accepted the current mindset dominating today’s players.

He added that these icons mastered all formats of the game, adapting their techniques and approaches according to each game's demands, a skill that set them apart and played a key role in India’s cricketing success.

He signed off by saying, “This is really missing right now, and that is very, very clearly evident with the results that we are seeing right now.” India will be next seen in action in the third and final Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from November 1.