MUMBAI: Would India’s T20 World Cup winners have fared better if they had been given a longer break before turning up for their respective IPL franchises?Former West Indies fast bowler Ian BishopFor one, it thinks so. The World Cup stars had about 20 days off before the start of the IPL, and their bodies are still useless, results are yet to be seen.
Barring Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, none of the batsmen in this team have been consistent in the IPL, while none of the bowlers are among the top 20 wicket-takers.Which team has suffered the most losses? Mumbai IndiansWith marquee Indian players like Surya Kumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Tilak Verma blowing more cold than hot.“Talking from the outside, what Bumrah, SKY and Arsdeep did to win the T20 World Cup at home must have been exhausting. I would love to see some of these guys – especially Bumrah, who was excellent at the World Cup – being given a break to freshen up, sit down, analyse, and fine-tune the skills that will take them to another level. I would love to see them enjoy success and refresh themselves,” Bishop said during an interaction on Thursday.He gave the example of Kolkata Knight Riders’ Varun Chakraborty and how rest – due to injury – helped him.Since his return, the mystery spinner has taken seven wickets in four matches. Bishop also advocated more varied pitches to balance the competition between bat and ball, which has been shaky this season, with 10 totals of over 200 already chased down.“I like the mix of pitches that the tournament can produce. I want to see some good batting surfaces where the batsmen have an impact. But I also want surfaces in Delhi (against RCB) or Lucknow that offer something for the fast bowlers. Or something like the MICSK game, where the ball caught and brought Akil Hussain and Noor Ahmed into the game,” said the 58-year-old, who works as a pundit with ESPNcricinfo.Bishop felt that Mumbai Indians’ bowling has let them down this season, and that Punjab Kings will also need to step up their attack as the tournament crosses the halfway stage. “There are many areas that MI need to work on, but if I had to pick one, it would be their bowling. When I look at the numbers, Mumbai and Punjab are at the bottom of the bowling ladder, and that worries me. I know we’re seeing a change in the way T20 cricket is played, but the champions have retooled their strong batting teams to generally bowl.
