Legendary bowler Anil Kumble believes young Indian cricketers should no longer be scared to make their breakthrough into international cricket thanks to their experiences of playing in the IPL.
The 11th edition of the T20 extravaganza begins next month when Mumbai Indians take on Chennai Super Kings on April 7.
The IPL has been the perfect platform for upcoming Indian cricketers to showcase their talent and catch the eye of national selectors.
And former coach Kumble believes the amount of time that youngsters spend together with the top international stars over the six-week tournament bodes well for their development.
“I think the confidence that the current youngsters is something that we did not have at that age,” said Kumble, who was chief guest at the Shyam Bhatia Cricket Awards in Dubai on Thursday.
“For me, the first initiation of the gym to lift weights was after I got injured and that was after nine years of playing international cricket. That kind of start and advantage they get, and thanks to IPL, the youngsters are rubbing shoulders with international cricketers as well.
“They know what their work ethic is, how they prepare and the mindset that have before a game. They will also know the preparation they do, all of that certainly helps. The interactions they have with these legends is fascinating. The intimidation part goes away. Earlier, you would go to Australia once every four years and play them but here every year in the IPL, you’re playing against the same bowlers and batsmen.
“That feeling that you’re facing something different has gone away. That has been the biggest change. That has helped how the Indian cricketers have come together and done what they have been able to.”
The 47-year-old, who is India’s highest Test wicket-taker with 619 scalps, believes the IPL is also having a positive impact for world cricket, saying it cools tension between players from rival nations.
“You get to know the player,” he said. “I think once you know the player, then you know how he would react to a certain situation. The emotions are very different as you’re playing for your country. You’re charged up. The situations can be very different if you’re a team-mate. If you’re a team-mate and you’re playing against each other, then you understand better how he would react and know him as a person.
“That is something that the IPL has done, bringing together all these players for a couple of months, has only helped players understand each other better, learn from each other and possibly interact a lot more in the camp.”
