Should the inclusion of one uncapped player in every IPL XI be mandatory?
When the Indian Premier League began, it was seen as a stage to watch legends play together but today it has become the biggest platform where youngsters can showcase their talent and learn from the best. The motto of the IPL has been ‘Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi’ which translates to ‘Where talent meets opportunity’. The motto is also inscribed on the IPL trophy.
Over the years we have seen a number of youngsters, especially uncapped players make a mark in the IPL and then go on and make their international debuts. But there has often been discussion around whether there should be at least one uncapped player in the playing XI of teams in every match. Let’s have a look at both sides of the argument and try to come to a conclusion.
Backing the youngsters
As it has already been established, uncapped, young players have been the star attractions for many seasons now. Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yuzvendra Chahal are just a few names who went on to make their India debut after performing well for their respective franchises and are today established members of the Indian team. Had it not been for the IPL, the Indian team might not have discovered these gems.
Another aspect of this side of the argument is that eventually the IPL is India’s domestic T20 tournament and the underlying purpose should be to give maximum exposure to the young players in India. IPL is the stage where they get to rub shoulders with the best overseas players from around the globe and learn the tricks of the trade from them.
Be it cricketing skills or the mental aspect of the game, the youngsters are bound to get invaluable insights from the experienced players. They also have to perform under immense pressure which prepares them for the international circuit much better than playing the Ranji Trophy and hence it should be a compulsion for all IPL teams to pick one uncapped player in every game.
Why the move could backfire –
On the other hand, it is important not to forget, IPL is perhaps the most competitive cricket tournament in the world. The teams are almost equally matched and slight weaknesses could tilt the balance in favour of the other team. The stakes are very high in the league and an uncapped player might be an unnecessary additional burden the teams might have to carry. The overseas limit is already a restriction they have to keep in mind and this could make it tougher for them to play their strongest team possible.
Another point of conflict could be about experienced as well as overseas uncapped players. Only young Indian players are not uncapped. A lot of domestic veterans with years of cricket behind them but unfortunately did not get an opening in the Indian team would also be considered as uncapped and teams would opt for their experience and hence the purpose of having compulsory uncapped players for providing exposure and experience to youngsters will be nullified. There have also been a number of overseas uncapped players, most notably Jofra Archer in recent times who have made it to the XIs of a lot of franchises around the world. Teams will again be motivated to accommodate the uncapped player as an overseas option.
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In conclusion, while IPL is the premier platform for youngsters to perform and prove their worth, their selection should be based purely on merit and suitability and ideally, one uncapped player should not be a compulsion for any of the franchises but should be left to their discretion.
