"Mai ek mahine pehle rest kar lunga, fir IPL khel lunga"- Praveen Kumar opens up on Ishan Kishan & Shreyas Iyer's contract snub

Former Indian pacer Praveen Kumar was asked about his opinion on the BCCI excluding Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from their latest round of central contracts. Many believed the board took the step because both Ishan and Iyer didn't turn up for their respective domestic teams in the Ranji Trophy before the contract announcement.

Praveen understands the importance that athletes give to earning and having financial security. However, he believes money shouldn't come in the way of prioritizing the country and in no way should it compromise playing domestic cricket.

Here's what Praveen Kumar told TOI:

"Paisa kamao, kaun mana kar rha hai? Paisa kamane chahiye lekin aise bhi nahi hona chahiye ki aap domestic nahi khel rahe, country ko importance nahi de rahe. (Earn money, who is stopping you? But it shouldn't be like you are not playing for the country or domestic cricket)."

He further added:

"This thing is now firmly in the mind of players. Mai ek mahine pehle rest kar lunga, fir IPL khel lunga. Ye mentally hota hai, ki mai itne paise kaise chhorun (I will rest for a month before the IPL and then play. This happens because mentally you are not willing to let go of that much money). But this is not fair at all. A player needs to balance things. Money is important, but this (giving franchise cricket the priority) is wrong."

Shreyas Iyer did turn up for Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy 2023/24 semifinal against Tamil Nadu. However, he was dismissed for just 3 runs in the solitary innings.

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Praveen Kumar on how IPL has benefitted Indian cricket

While Praveen Kumar opined that the players need to prioritize domestic cricket over IPL, he didn't shy away from accepting that the cash-rich T20 league has given Indian cricket several stars. He understands how youngsters benefit from rubbing shoulders with star players from around the world.

Highlighting how IPL has changed over the years, Praveen stated:

"Cricket has changed a lot. The year IPL commenced in 2008 and now, the IPL has changed, the approach has changed, the game has totally changed now. Support staff has been increased. You spend more than one and a half months with players across the globe, so there is obviously a huge learning experience."

Youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rinku Singh showed that they were unfazed by the demands of the international level. It invariably is a testament to how IPL shaped up their initial years in top-tier competitive cricket.