Aakash Chopra: “Our cricket board must decide what’s important”

Aakash Chopra is of the opinion that the fact that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) treats the Indian Premier League (IPL) on a level playing field with international cricket is the reason why all players are available for the franchise-based tournament while taking a few breaks from the national side.

In sports such as football, the controversy over whether players should represent their club, or their country has been going on for decades. Cricket has also been a topic of discussion due to the proliferation of leagues all over the world. Players increasingly priorities’ participation in international events over their responsibilities for their national teams.
When asked what he thought about India’s players getting rested for the national team but still being available for the Indian Premier League, Chopra had the following response:

“The overriding idea here is that in the end, it is up to our cricket board to decide what aspects of our game should be prioritized. They have come to the conclusion that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is on a level playing field with international cricket for us.”

The former Indian opener supports the position taken by the BCCI and provides the following explanation:
“Because it is simply your tournament, there is no reason to feel uncomfortable about doing that. You compete in both domestic cricket and international cricket as a team, with the IPL serving as your primary tournament. If this competition is going to be held to the same level as the NFL or the EPL, then that requirement needs to be satisfied.”

Chopra made the point that players in international cricket are consequently afforded a respite from the grueling schedules they maintain, and she elaborated as follows:” It is an unquestionable requirement that all of your players be available throughout that time period. Because of this, it is probable that if you see a somewhat lighter series or if you are playing a lot of series in a row, you will remark that you will rotate slightly. This is because of the previous point.”

It is not at all fair to the franchises to expect their star players to be available for the entirety of the tournament if they are not going to make that commitment. However, India’s primary squad also has to play regularly together, particularly in the format when there is a global event coming up soon.

According to Aakash Chopra, the use of your IPL cash is contingent upon all of your players being available. The Indian Premier League is often regarded as the most renowned Twenty20 league in the world.
Chopra stated that all Indian players should be available for the IPL in order to maintain the league’s position as the premier tournament in India.

He observed: “You can use a player in one series and then rest him for another, but in order for your IPL currency to work properly. all of your players must be accessible. That international cricket being the most important level of the game might be something that some individuals fundamentally disagree with, and think is an incorrect statement.”

Chopra wrapped up his remarks by stating that the BCCI does its utmost to make certain that the top 15 players from each nation compete in multi-nation competitions. He went on to say that because of the high volume of international cricket, they are compelled to make some minor lineup adjustments throughout bilateral series.