Arun Singh Dhumal, Chairman of the IPL, has fiercely denied claims that the competition is to blame for the recent spate of injuries suffered by Indian cricketers. Team India is in a difficult spot with some of their most important players suffering from long-term injuries, including Jasprit Bumrah and Shreyas Iyer. Members of the management are concerned about the workload of Indian players during the IPL before the crucial ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval, which starts on June 7.
Deepak Chahar’s injury woes flashed again when he picked up a hamstring strain in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) most recent victory over the Mumbai Indians (MI). He will have to undergo scans to determine the extent of his injury but is expected to be out of action for a few games. Rajat Patidar was greatly uncertain before IPL 2023, as he came into training with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) suffering from a heel injury. He was ruled out of the entire tournament, with RCB signing Vyshak Vijay Kumar as a replacement for the season.
Arun Singh Dhumal stated to the Indian Express that no one should point the finger at the league for the injury woes faced by players. He said:
“The problem in our country is that whosoever makes money, be it a company or individual, he is seen with suspicion. Virat Kohli has been playing IPL for so many years he’s never been injured. Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami never got injured. Does it have anything to do with the IPL?”
“Shreyas Iyer got injured but not because of the IPL. Just because they make money through IPL, we start blaming it for anything and everything. Injuries are an integral part of any sport. Our badminton stars are getting injured. They don’t play in the IPL. There are so many stars who are coming from overseas and playing in the league.”
AS Dhuman, IPL Chairman
The KKR captain is set to undergo surgery soon due to a back injury, rendering him unable to participate in the upcoming IPL 2023 and the World Test Championship final.
“They will have to make a choice”: IPL Chairman on the longevity of players
Arun Singh Dhumal suggested that, with workload management being a challenge, cricketers may have to choose between formats to ensure that they avoid burnout or chronic injuries. The notion of players playing all three formats consistently alongside franchise cricket is highly unrealistic. He stated:
“In case we have to see longevity for a cricketer, they will have to make a choice. Either keep playing every format, every game for a few years or rest for some matches and make a long career.”