IPL 2020 | Cancellation of tournament would be opportunity missed, admits Shivam Mavi

IPL 2020 | Cancellation of tournament would be opportunity missed, admits Shivam Mavi

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Shivam Mavi, who was one of the finds of the tournament in the 2018 U19 World Cup and was subsequently picked by KKR in the auction, has admitted that IPL cancellation would be a considerable blow to him. Mavi made his IPL debut in 2018, but did not have the greatest of debut seasons.

With the entirety of India going into a 21-day lockdown and with cases of the novel Covid-19 virus in the country increasing with every passing day, the thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) getting cancelled looks all but inevitable. Whilst there has not been any official word on a cancellation, sources close to the BCCI have admitted that it would be impossible for the tournament to go ahead under the circumstances and, given the Olympics has now been postponed too, the organizers are under considerable pressure to call the tournament off. 

The cancellation of the IPL would be a big blow not only to the stakeholders - who face losses up to thousands of crore - but for certain players too. One such player who believes that his chances of making it to the top level would be considerably dented is 21-year-old Shivam Mavi who, after missing IPL 2019 due to injury, was eyeing a comeback this season. The pace sensation, who burst onto the scene in the U19 World Cup in New Zealand in 2018 and was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL, revealed that he had set his sights on IPL 2020 in order to propel himself to the next level. That, now, looks like a distant dream.

“It’s an opportunity because last year I missed out due to injury. I thought when I return this year, I’ll perform and be considered for the top level,” Mavi told Hindustan Times. 

For young players, IPL is not just a tournament where they can showcase their skills, but also a platform to considerably hone their skills as they get to spend quality time with veterans and legends of the game and pick their brains. 21-year-old Kings XI Punjab all-rounder Darshan Nalkande feels that missing out on two months of IPL would be a huge loss for him on a personal level, as it means that he would not get time to spend time in the dressing room with greats of the game and further develop his knowledge and skill. Nalkande revealed how he benefited from the presence of Australia’s Ryan Harris, who was with the KXIP camp last season.

“Even if you don’t get to play, you learn a lot interacting. The training facilities are top notch. Last year, Ryan Harris (Aussie pacer-turned-coach) was our bowling coach and his tips helped me improve a lot. He helped me with game awareness.”

“One thing I learnt during my first season was one needs to improve skills constantly to be successful over a long period. If IPL doesn’t happen, it will be a great loss as I will miss out on quality training over the next two months.”

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