The World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 Final is scheduled to start from 7 June, just a week after the IPL 2023 Final. However, many Indian players like Shreyas Iyer are already struggling from injury concerns.
Former Indian Head Coach Ravi Shastri believes that the BCCI needs to talk to the IPL franchises to allow players a necessary break ahead of the WTC 2023 Final and most importantly, Cricket World Cup 2023.
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“Even during the IPL the board has to tell the franchise, listen we need him, India needs him, so for India’s sake, if he doesn’t play those games it will be good,” Shastri told The Indian Express on the sidelines of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) in Doha.
The issue for the board is to ensure that the Indian team for the WTC final is neither injured nor exhausted.
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“Volume of cricket has increased. Rest period is getting decreased, this is where establishment and players have to sit across the table. They need to be told that you need that much break and give them so much game to play,” Shastri said.
KL Rahul should replace Bharat for WTC final
Shastri also feels KL Rahul should keep wickets ahead of KS Bharat during the WTC final.
“KL Rahul should keep behind the wickets in the WTC, as Rishabh Pant is not there. In England seamers will bowl more, so the keeper will be standing behind most of the time. He will strengthen the batting at numbers 5-6 and he did well in the ODI game in Mumbai. KS Bharat is a newcomer, it is not the case that we have to play him. Bharat will learn with exposure. And in these big games, one has to weigh all the options,” Shastri added.