IPL gave a platform to a lot of Indian players: Ajinkya Rahane

South Africa pacer Dale Steyn’s recent comments about the IPL led to a lot of furore, particularly in the Indian cricket circle.

Steyn, who has played across various teams in the league, had said, "I wanted some time off. I found that playing in these other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player. I think when you go to IPL, there are such big squads and so many big names and so much emphasis on maybe the amount of money players earn and everything like that, so sometimes, somewhere down the line, cricket gets forgotten," Steyn told Cricket Pakistan.

"When you come to like a PSL or the Sri Lankan Premier League, for that matter, there is an importance on the cricket. I have only been here for a couple of days and I have had people in and out of my room, just wanting to know about where I have played and how I went about it. "Whereas, when I go to something like the IPL that gets forgotten and the main topic is how much money did you go for in this IPL? That’s just me being brutally honest. I wanted to stay away from that and really put more emphasis on playing and bringing good vibes to good cricket teams and tournaments I feel are worth it," Steyn added.

When India’s vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane was asked about his views on Steyn’s comments, Rahane refrained from discussing the subject.

However, he was quick to add that the IPL has given a platform to a lot of Indian players.

"See, I am here to talk about the fourth Test match and not here to talk about PSL or Sri Lanka Premier League. IPL gave us that platform to express ourselves and also to a lot of Indians players. I am not sure what Dale Steyn has said, I am here to talk about this Test match," said Rahane during a virtual press conference.