Sri Lanka cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan is of the opinion that playing IPL is harder than representing your country. Murali’s comments came during an interaction with India off-spinner R Ashwin in his show ‘DRS with Ash’.
“Playing IPL difficult than playing for country,” said Muralitharan.
The former Sri Lanka off-spinner, who is the highest wicket-taker of the world in both ODIs and Tests, said the competition level in IPL is high and foreign players have to sit out irrespective of performance to maintain certain team combinations based on conditions and the opposition.
“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,” Murali added.
Murali, who represented Chennai Super Kings, Kochi Tuskers Kerala (now defunct) and Royal Challengers Bangalore in eight seasons of IPL, said there have been matches where he has had to sit out for the team combination’s sake.
“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,” said Murali.
The 13th edition of IPL will start from September 19 and the final will be played on November 10. The full of schedule of IPL 2020 is yet to be announced by BCCI.
