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The India national cricket team’s terrible batting performance against England in the third T20I has left the entire cricket world shocked. After India were bowled out for just 76 runs and lost by 125 runs, Moeen Ali said one IPL rule could be one of the major reasons behind their shocking collapse.
The former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder believes that the Impact Player rule in the IPL is negatively affecting Indian batters. He felt many players are forgetting how to build an innings and handle difficult situations because they are getting used to playing only attacking cricket. Earlier, Jofra Archer reflects on IPL’s impact after India’s defeat to England.
The Men in Blue had a horrible day at Trent Bridge while chasing 202 runs against England. The batters kept losing wickets while playing attacking shots against England’s fast bowlers. The entire team was bowled out in just 11.4 overs for only 76 runs. It was India’s biggest defeat by runs in T20I history.
Indian batters have lost the art of batting in T20 cricket: Moeen Ali
After England took a 2-0 lead in the ongoing five-match T20I series, Moeen Ali said that international cricket is very different from the IPL. He feels players cannot keep trying to hit every ball for a boundary or six. Sometimes they have to stay at the crease, build partnerships, and take the game deep, especially when the team loses early wickets.
The former England all-rounder was surprised to see Harshit Rana being sent to bat ahead of Shivam Dube. He also felt the Men in Blue had picked too many left-handed batters in the playing XI, which made things easier for England’s bowlers at Trent Bridge. Amid this, MS Dhoni mobbed by fans after Gautam Gambhir’s India lose to England.
Moeen Ali said on the “Beard Before Wicket” podcast: “The impact player makes a big difference in the IPL. I think they have lost the art of batting in T20 cricket. Whether you are three down, four down, or five down in the power play. Dube coming in at number eight and sending Rana ahead of him, I know it’s because he is a right-hander, but you are picking a team full of left-handers; you can’t just do that.”
Moeen Ali blames IPL’s Impact Player rule for hurting Indian batters
Moeen believes the Impact Player rule has changed the way teams are built in the IPL. Since teams can bring in an extra batter or bowler during the match, players do not always have to deal with pressure. But in international cricket, every player has to perform when needed.
The Englishman further explained, “I will always come back to the impact player in the IPL. I think it is taking away the art of batting in conditions and situations more than anything. You can’t just come out and keep slogging from ball one. You have to pick the team well. With an impact player, you don’t have to pick the team well and can just put in a batter or bowler. But there’s no like after picking a side to these conditions.”
Adil Rashid blames IPL rule for India’s young players struggling under pressure
England spinner Adil Rashid said that some young players are missing the chance to learn how to handle pressure because they are replaced by an impact player during IPL matches.
Rashid said during the same discussion, “Certain players, if they don’t know how to pull the pressure and overcome that, they just replace with the impact player, and then they will never know how to overcome that pressure when they go to a higher level, when they play internationally. When they are in that situation, they don’t know what to do. Not what to do, but they don’t have the experience to do it.”
