Indian Bowlers to Practice for WTC Final During IPL; Players to Receive Duke Balls

According to captain Sharma, it is the management’s decision so that bowlers can practice whenever they get some free time from their busy IPL schedule.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has revealed that the Indian management has decided to give Duke balls to Indian bowlers during the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is scheduled to begin on March 31.

The decision has been made because, after the IPL, the Indian team will clash with the Australian side in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Therefore, the management wants the bowlers to practice with Duke balls whenever they have some free time from their busy IPL schedule.

The management has also decided that some Indian players will be sent to England early so that they can adapt to the country’s weather condition.

For the record, the final game of the WTC will be played at the Oval Stadium from June 7.

Sharma’s words

On Monday, Sharma said, "I believe in preparation and it is going to be the key for us ahead of the final. Around May 21st, there will be six teams who would possibly be out of the IPL. So, whichever players are available, we will try and find some time to see if they can reach the UK as early as possible and get some time there. We will monitor what happens after that."

Sharma further added, "It’s quite critical for us. We will be in constant touch with our players, who are going to be part of the WTC final and monitor their workload. In fact, we are sending some Duke balls to all the fast bowlers as well, if they get some time to bowl with that. But again, it all depends on the individuals, and it’s not that the guys who are going to be part of the WTC finals are not the guys who have not played in the UK."

Broken by NZ, patched by NZ

For the uninitiated, India's last appearance in the WTC final was against New Zealand in 2021. Unfortunately, the Indian side lost that final against Kane Williamson’s side. However, this year, if India has reached the WTC final, it is because New Zealand played a crucial role.

After all, New Zealand stopped Sri Lanka from cruising to the final of the WTC. In short, a big thanks from us Indians to all the Kiwis!