The Indian players, who are in the scheme of things for the England tour later in the year, might have to juggle between red ball and white ball during the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Post IPL 2025, which ends on May 25, the Indian team will fly out to England for a five-match Test series in June-July.
Ever since India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) debacle, it has been mandatory for all the India players to play domestic cricket. As a result, the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returned to the Ranji Trophy fold after a gap of 10 years.
According to a Cricbuzz report, the BCCI is working on a play to keep the players remain in touch with red-ball cricket during the IPL 2025 season. The report states that the targeted players for the England Test series will be asked to join the Indian camp for occasional red-ball practice or engage in unconventional activities.
The IPL 2025 starts on March 22 and end on May 25. The first Test against England will begin in Headingley on June 20.
When was the plan devised?
The report also stated that the plan first came into fore during the India vs Pakistan clash in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai. More meetings on the same are expected after the conclusion of Champions Trophy on March 9.
Normally, the Indian players are allowed to focus on their respective franchises. But the trend is going to be broken following India’s recent performances in Tests at home and away. India lost to New Zealand 0-3 at home last year before suffering another 1-3 loss to Australia in BGT.
It is also to be noted that India’s trend of losing a Test series after the IPL didn’t go unnoticed by the BCCI. In 2011, India lost to England 0-1, while in 2014, then captain MS Dhoni’s men lost to England 1-3 in an away series. In 2018, India suffered a 1-4 setback.
