Casting a wider net: IPL's power shift fuels deeper talent pool
India's selectors are closely watching the IPL to identify new talent and track consistency, moving beyond just top teams. Franchise scouting networks are now crucial, mirroring domestic cricket's shift. Focus remains on ODI core development and assessing players like Mayank Yadav and Rishabh Pant, while monitoring Hardik Pandya's bowling fitness.
It’s unfortunate that Shreyas Iyer misses out. It’s no fault of his, nor ours. He has to wait for his chance.
” This was India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar while announcing the T20I squad for the Asia Cup last Aug. Iyer was still fresh from an IPL season where he scored 604 runs at a strike-rate of 174 while leading Punjab Kings to the final. Barring Arshdeep Singh, no player from either of last edition’s finalists could find a place in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup team last month.
The IPL is in a very interesting phase now. It has thrown up a surfeit of players that have turned India into a T20 superpower, but the earlier phase of only a few big teams dominating the league may be over. Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians — the two most successful franchises — are struggling to maintain consistency as the years roll by.
In fact, the trend mirrors India’s domestic cricket scene. The power centre doesn’t necessarily end with Mumbai, Karnataka, Delhi or Tamil Nadu any more. The ‘lesser’ state teams have found a way to make their presence felt, starting with Rajasthan, Vidarbha, Saurashtra and Gujarat.