Former Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson has credited the time spent in the IPL for shaping Indian cricket and adding to its cricketing depth. He cited this as an example for Australia, which instead failed to advance past the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Mitchell Johnson, the renowned Australian cricketer, has had a huge impact on Australian cricket. He was part of their several successful campaigns, which included ICC World Cup titles in 2007 and 2015, and also Champions Trophy wins for Australia. However, he never won a single T20 World Cup with the mighty Aussies.
Johnson has played six seasons in the IPL, and he has had his most successful seasons with the Mumbai Indians. He won three titles in 2013, 201,5 and 2017, before playing his final season in 2018 for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
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Mitchell Johnson hurt by Australia’s WC exit after horrifying show in Sri Lanka
Former Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson has largely credited the role of the IPL in shaping India’s evolution in the shortest format of the game; however, he seems hurt by Australia’s disappointing exit from the ICC T20 World Cup.
“I recently touched on Australia’s Big Bash League and how Australia failing to reach the Super 8 stage wasn’t a great advertisement for the competition,” Johnson wrote in his column for ‘The West Australian.’
Australians failed to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the competition after they lost back-to-back matches to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in the group-stages and they were knocked out of the competition. They failed to stage a fightback and faced humiliating defeats against two minnows.
“India, on the other hand, has demonstrated the strength of their T20 system through performances rather than words,” observed Johnson.
He then added, “That’s something Australian cricket historically prided itself on, showing the world how things were done through results on the field, and that’s why Australia’s performance this World Cup hurts.”
Johnson suggests IPL reshaped modern Indian cricket
The 44-year-old Australian pacer has referred to the time spent in making IPL the powerhouse of talent that it is now. He said that the time and money that have been invested over a long time have now borne fruit.
“India’s success suggests that the years of building the IPL into a global powerhouse have paid off. The depth, experience and confidence of their players reflect that environment,” he wrote.
India not only made it to the finals and won the competition but also played the best brand of cricket. India’s true value was in their gameplay, their explosiveness and fearless striking of the ball.
“Even if they were to fall short in the final, the broader message has already been delivered. India have proven that their T20 structure works,” the former fast bowler continued.
IPL to kickstart from the 28th of March
IPL was India’s very own and one of the World’s oldest franchise-level T20 leagues, which was formulated back in 2008, and since then it has grown into a massively successful competition that has attracted global talent to India.
The Indian youngsters have had the exposure to battle it out against the unique talents from around the globe and transform the Indian team into one of the most invincible oppositions in world cricket.
Every year, the IPL produces so many new talents that it keeps every young player on their toes, as they need to continue performing to be part of the side without fail. This makes them one of the most competitive sides in the competition.
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