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Virat Kohli wants India’s pacers to skip IPL 2019; here is why

England and Australian players will be playing this IPL till April 30.

Virat Kohli wants India’s pacers to skip IPL 2019; here is why

Indian captain Virat Kohli (R) speaks with Sachin Tendulkar (Photo: AFP)

Indian skipper Virat Kohli wants team’s star pacers to skip the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) so that they can be “fresh and fit” for the forthcoming ICC World Cup 2019.

In a meeting with Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA), Virat Kohli is learnt to have requested that pacers (Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and others) should not take part in 12th edition of IPL so that they can be fully fit for next year’s World Cup.

According to a report published in The Indian Express, the meeting was attended by CoA members (Vinod Rai, Diana Edulji), skipper Virat Kohli, Test vice-captain Ajinksya Rahane, ODI vice-captain Rohit Sharma, coach Ravi Shastri and chairman of selectors M S K Prasad to review India’s poor showing in England and other away tours.

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While the 2019 ICC World Cup will kickstart on May 30 in England, the finale will be played on 14 July. IPL will likely start in the first week of April and run till the third week of May.

Team India also suggested that BCCI should compensate the players who would miss the T20 extravagant for the World Cup. It was also suggested that these pacers could either play the first or second half of the IPL so that they get enough rest.

Team India’s request to rest the pacers can create a dispute between the BCCI and the IPL franchises. CoA has consulted IPL chief operating officer Hemang Amin regarding this. According to Amin, teams should be informed about any such move before the window for player transfers closes.

“There were a lot of suggestions, with the players sharing their views, but no decision was taken on this. It will be taken at the appropriate time, if needed,” the Express report said quoting sources.

It has also been learnt that no request has been made by team India about resting the batsmen.

Meanwhile, England and Australian players will be playing this IPL till April 30.

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