Playing IPL at different grounds in India will be beneficial for T20 World Cup: Jonny Bairstow

The One-day International series between India and England is currently underway, and the visitors, who are on the back foot after a 66-run defeat in the first match, will be looking to square off in the remainder of the series. A large number of the visiting English players will remain in India to compete in the fourteenth edition of the Indian Premier League, which begins on April 9th. 

Speaking at the virtual press conference ahead of the 2nd ODI match on Wednesday, wicketkeeper-batsman, Jonny Bairstow spoke about how crucial the upcoming IPL season is for them as it will be beneficial in terms of understanding the conditions for the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in India later this year.

“It will be a great opportunity to play at different grounds that we could potentially be playing in the T20 World Cup. Also to see how different teams will go about bowling in those conditions. Because, naturally with the dimension of the grounds and also wickets, it varies how attacks go about defending totals and batsmen go about setting them, so it will be an interesting competition,” said Bairstow.

“Obviously playing over here, it was new ground, it was a lot of learning but the games that we have got in IPL will be in Chennai. However, the acclimatization in India, whether it would be to the conditions or weather or in general will hopefully help,” he further explained.

In the run-up to the World Cup, IPL is an ice-breaker

"But nothing can be taken for guaranteed, we know the quality of the competition, and quality of the opposition...to be a part of the IPL, if you can come and do well in that hopefully then leading up to the World Cup, can only put in a good frame of mind because we have quite a few players playing in that.”

On life in the bio-bubble

“So it is tough being away and people are going to need rest. It is not easy just turning up and playing cricket. Living at a certain floor of the hotel, not able to leave the hotel ... being away from families is tough and the break that people are getting through the winter has been important for people's mental and physical health.”