Kolkata Knigh Riders will play thier first match against Sun Risers Hyderabad on March 24. (File Photo)Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore on Tuesday said that the IPL franchises have not received any guidelines from the BCCI regarding the workload management of Indian players. He also believes that the players will not be affected due to the upcoming T20 league as there is a three-week gap between the two events.
Mysore was quoted by PTI as saying, “We have not heard any such thing from them (BCCI). The tournament is finishing early enough. If May 12 is the final and India plays its first game on June 5, I think there is enough of a gap. But we have not had any such guidance or instruction.” Kuldeep Yadav and Dinesh Karthik are the two KKR cricketers that are likely to be included in the Indian World Cup squad.
His statement came after the Indian cricket board dropped a hint that it will keep an eye on the workload of Indian players as for the first time the T20 extravaganza is scheduled to take place ahead of the World Cup. National senior selection committee chairman MSK Prasad had said that the BCCI is in talks with various IPL franchises to manage the workloads of 18 core players.
The IPL will kick-off on March 23 with defending champions Chennai Super Kings hosting Royal Challengers Bangalore and the World Cup is scheduled to take place from May 30 till July 14 in England.
Responding to question on what will be his stance when the board issues such guideline, Mysore said, “It’s a hypothetical question, to be honest. I don’t think it will arise. The cricketers feel that it is always better to play competitive cricket than having net sessions.”
“The way it plays out, the final is only for two teams on the 12th. So it’s not like that everyone will be involved for so long. It depends on which teams make it all way. I think it’s all going to work out well,” he added.
With the general elections approaching, the IPL venues might see a reshuffle and it is possible that a game can be played at a neutral place. Speaking on this, Mysore said, ” There is a strong possibility of that. From what I hear, they want to have the whole tournament in India. So it could be that there are neutral venues in India rather than neutral venues outside and we are happy with that. It is a different year.”
“Let’s hope somehow the dates will work out in a way that we have as many games as possible at the Eden Gardens,” he said.
Mysore also said that the pre-tournament camp of KKR will begin from the second week in March. “We are still trying to figure it out because a lot of it depends on player availability. Players have different domestic and international commitments. Ideally, we target at least 10 days before the start of the tournament. So it can (tentatively) be 12th or 13th of March,” Mysore said.
