Arun Dhumal hits back at Captain Rohit Sharma and former head coach Ravi Shastri over the "workload management" row
2023 is a very important year for the Indian cricket team, as they have not one but two big opportunities in their hands to end their trophy drought in ICC events. In June, they will be up against Australia in the World Test Championship final, and then later in the month of October, they will be hosting the ODI World Cup. Now that two trophies are in sight, the biggest discussion has also been around workload management with the players. Rohit Sharma and Ravi Shastri both raised the issue in the middle of a rising list of injuries, but IPL chairman Arun Dhumal hit back at them.
Rohit Sharma had said on the eve of Mumbai Indians' first game in the IPL season 2023 that it's all up to the franchise now. Franchises own them. We have given indications, some kind of borderline thing to teams, but at the end of the day, it's up to the franchise. "I doubt that will happen though."
Last month, in conversation with sports journalist Yari Shastri, he also urged the BCCI to take a stand on workload management and have a discussion on the same with the IPL franchise, saying, "You need that much cricket and you need to give certain breaks." even if it happens to be IPL. Board has to take a stand there and tell the franchise, "Listen, we need them." India needs them. "For India's sake, if he doesn’t play those games, it will be good."
But in an interview with Indian Express, Dhumal shrugged off all these accusations, pointing out that players like Kohli, Mohammed Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja never got injured playing in the IPL during their careers. He said, "The problem in our country is that whoever makes money, be it a company or an individual, is seen with suspicion." Virat Kohli has been playing in the IPL for so many years that he has never been injured. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami never got injured. "Does it have anything to do with the IPL?"
While talking about the injury to Shreyas, Iyer Dhumal said that Shreyas got injured but not because of the IPL. Just because they make money through IPL, we start blaming IPL for anything and everything. Injuries are an integral part of any sport, and even our badminton stars are getting injured. They do not play in the IPL. "There are so many stars who are coming from overseas and playing in the IPL."