Sri Lankan cricket legend and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan has on Friday (August 20) picked Indian Premier League (IPL) over international cricket as the toughest and challenging competition, especially in terms of getting the opportunity to break into the playing XI.
The highest wicket-taker in international cricket further noted that playing in the IPL is harder than representing one’s country in international cricket since there’s a sense of security about the place in the playing eleven while playing for own country as compared to the Indian league.
Muralitharan also admitted that the competition level in IPL is high and players, especially overseas stars have to sit out irrespective of performance for the sake of team combination and even he also went through the same, but he was never unsatisfied as it is part and parcel of both IPL and game.
Speaking with India off-spinner R Ashwin on his show ‘DRS with Ash’, Muralitharan said: “Playing IPL difficult than playing for the country. With country, you know you will perform. You will have the confidence that you’ll get the ball, you’ll play. But in IPL, no matter how well you’ve done, you might have to sit out for the sake of team combination. So that’s part and parcel of IPL. You have to accept it and move on.”
Read Also: IPL 2020: New logo revealed for Dream11 IPL
The world’s highest wicket-taker in both ODIs and Tests made his IPL debut back in 2008 for MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings and then played for Kochi Tuskers Kerala while finished his IPL career with the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
He added, “In IPL only four foreigners can play so tea composition is there. Some matches need all-rounders, some don’t. I too have sat out many matches. But I’ve never been unsatisfied. That is part of the game.”
Noteworthy, the 13th edition of the IPL 2020 will start from September 19 and the final will be played on November 10 in the UAE.
(With Hindustan Times Inputs)
