IPL and bilateral series should be given preference over World T20, opines Ravi Shastri

England’s county season is one of the domestic tournaments that has taken a hit due to the widespread COVID-19, and while the start of the season has been delayed a couple of times thus far, the prevailing effect of the virus has made it virtually impossible to start the competition. On another stature, the future of World T20 also looks in doubt, with the situation still unclear over its start date and the countries’ participation. 

However, India’s head coach, Ravi Shastri has opined that it is important that the ICC utilizes this opportunity to give more priority to domestic tournaments and bilateral series, over a mega tournament such as the World T20. While the domestic season in India does not start until September, Shastri wants the BCCI to prioritize IPL, given the easier logistics. 

“In that sense, what India’s lost out on is domestic cricket — the Indian Premier League (IPL) for instance. When cricket resumes, we could give the IPL a priority. The difference between an international tournament and the IPL is that the IPL can be played between one or two cities and the logistics will be easier to manage,” Shastri told TOI.  

The former all-rounder also added that the ICC must emphasise more on the bilateral series rather than shifting their focus to the showdown piece in Australia. 

“The same thing with bilaterals — it’ll be easier for us to tour one country and play there at specific grounds than 15-16 teams flying in during these times. The International Cricket Council (ICC) needs to look at this objectively,” Shastri adds.

"It's a great opportunity for every country to focus on its domestic cricket and that should be given paramount importance," he concluded.