IPL benefits must not come before international game, says Rabada

For all the benefits it has provided to cricket, Kagiso Rabada hopes the Indian Premier League (IPL) does not destroy the international game and wants a happy medium to be found where both can thrive.

Rabada is a superstar in both the international game and the IPL, putting heavy demands on him mentally and physically. “I still prefer playing international cricket — that’s the pinnacle. But the IPL is a magnificent tournament,” he said.  

Had his IPL team, the Punjab Kings, had its way he would have been in Mohali on Saturday where they begin their 2023 IPL campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Instead Cricket SA put its foot down, insisting that all the nationally contracted players be available for the two ODIs against the Netherlands, which will be played on Friday and Sunday. Those matches are critical to the Proteas’ chances of securing automatic qualification for this year’s World Cup.

Rabada, who was signed for R18.6m by Punjab, understands the benefits of the IPL. “Financially, it is incredibly good, mixing with other players and broadening the cricket network and increasing the talent pool ... it’s good for the game, it markets it extremely well. Wherever there is money there are eyes [on], it’s good and it grows the game,” he explained.

Rabada has been one of the stars at the tournament since signing his first contract there in 2017 with the then Delhi Daredevils (later Capitals). In 63 matches he has taken 99 wickets and his strike rate (balls bowled per wicket taken) of 14.4 is the best among bowlers, who’ve taken 60 or more wickets.

While appreciating the benefits, Rabada, 27, sounded a warning for the authorities, both in the IPL and at the International Cricket Council. “My only thing is that [the IPL] doesn’t take away from Test cricket and ODIs, which people say is dying, because people are focusing on T20.

“I still believe the truest form of the game is Test cricket. As much as you get your good T20 players, where you get tested the most is Test cricket, it’s the purest form. The only thing the IPL shouldn’t do is take away from that. All the other benefits; the excitement, the entertainment, the financial benefit, helps to grow the game.”

Cricket SA’s entirely justifiable demand that the likes of Rabada, Quinton de Kock, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram and David Miller — among others — be available for the two ODIs against the Dutch led to some tough negotiations between Cricket SA and the franchises. Miller said last week his team — the Gujarat Titans — were “really upset” that he was missing their opening match, also the first match of this year’s tournament, on Friday.

Because the franchise owners shell out millions of dollars for players, they believe they deserve to see a return on every cent of that investment. The IPL is the world’s second most financially lucrative league (on a per match basis), after the NFL in the US, and it is putting a squeeze on the calendar, making life difficult for players and national federations.

Last year, Cricket SA left it up to the players whether they wanted to represent the Proteas for the two Tests against Bangladesh. They all chose to head to India, but it certainly proved a distraction for the one-day series, which preceded the Tests, and it was subsequently felt that the pressure the players — including Rabada — were under may have had an effect on that series, which the Proteas lost, leaving their World Cup qualification in jeopardy.

Now Rabada must help resolve that issue and in doing so, ease pressure on the fixture list by avoiding the ICC qualification tournament in Zimbabwe later this year.