Saba Karim Reckons T20 Is The Best Format To Introduce New Teams. Photo Credit: Web.
Table of Contents
Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI), General Manager of Cricket Operations Saba Karim, feels that T20 is the ideal format to bring new teams that can boost up the confidence of the young players in a nutshell.
Meanwhile, the cash-rich Board has introduced nine teams in the domestic season of 2018-2019. Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand have been introduced newly and will play Ranji Trophy.
Their first engagement will be with the heavyweight teams in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20.
Meanwhile, Mumbaiwill play with Sikkim on the first day of the T20 league. However, Delhi, Runners-up of Ranji Trophy 2017-2018 will play with Manipur on February 22.
Also, there seems to be a little method to the madness as the experienced sides can easily beat the new entrants. However, Karim opposed the same.
PC: Getty Images.
“We thought it out and believed that T20 is the best format to introduce them to the big league. Any team can cause an upset in T20 cricket, and that is why the new teams have been pitted against the big boys in this format. If you see, the Ranji Trophy format has the plate division for this very reason,” Karim asserted.
Saba Karim strongly believes that the new teams are preparing well and they need a chance to play against the tough side in the T20 fold.
“Some of the new teams like Bihar, Uttarakhand and Puducherry have been preparing very well, and I am hopeful that they will do well. They shouldn’t be taken lightly. The North Eastern states also have some very fit boys. Yes, the skill part is being developed, but you need to start somewhere. We need to give them a chance expecting that they will become competitive,” he explained.
