Former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris has highlighted one point of concern for Indian players ahead of IPL 2020.
The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League begins on September 19, as MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings take on Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians in the curtain-raiser. The tournament will begin without the presence of crowd due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris has pointed out that playing without a crowd might be a concern for the Indian players. He argued that while the overseas players are "used to" playing in front of small crowds, the Indians derive energy from the people in the stadiums.
“I don’t think there will be too much of an adjustment for the overseas players. A lot of the overseas players play in front of small crowds or even empty grounds on a regular basis, so they will be used to that. But you are right, Indian players, I can’t remember. I mean Kohli, 10 years ago, most of those players have been around long enough now. They won’t struggle, but they will just wonder where they are and look for that energy in other ways,” Styris said on Star Sports' Cricket Connected.
Former Indian bowler Ajit Agarkar said that while it might be an issue during the initial days of the IPL, the fact that players are returning after six months of absence would be a strong motivation in itself.
“Might be a bit odd for the first couple of games, but at the end of the day, you are grateful enough that the tournament is taking place. You are getting to play some cricket. A lot of these guys are at the peak of their careers, not having cricket for six months, that’s a huge loss when you are doing so well in your career,” Agarkar said on the show.
“So, they will be very excited to actually play the tournament. It might be little odd at the start, but like Scotty (Scot Styris) said, that energy sometimes you get from crowds, particularly in India, the IPL has moved to the UAE, but in India, it can sometimes act like a 12th man for the home team.”
