Reports | Franchises demand ‘warm-up games’ as Star India braces for more game-time

With the Indian Premier League starting on September 19, many players will don their cricketing gears after months of hibernation due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown in most parts of the world. While the pre-season camp, currently in progress in Dubai, has given them a shot at getting into the game-mode, nothing can beat the match-atmosphere, for which the franchises demand a series of warm-up games.

Times of India reported the news, confirming that a number of franchises are in favour of “ few warm-ups to get into the groove.” As per the report, a leading franchise executive said, “Having some competitive warm-up games will be good for the tournament," while another franchise CEO expressed "100% support to the idea of warm-ups". 

Star India have also thrown their support behind the idea, given the fact that only full-ready players can dish out quality games when the unique Television-Only tournament kicks start on September 19. "They are in favour of the idea and are also keen on their broadcast as it will help build the anticipation for IPL,” the publication cited a source as saying.

Another official tracking development commented that "That's one of the concerns because these boys haven't really had a go since the last five months and it's less than a week that they've started outdoor training. Match-practice won't be adequate for sure by the time the tournament begins.”