India First: Varun Chakravarthy Injury Debate Raises Serious Questions for BCCI and IPL

 

It was disturbing to see Varun Chakravarthy hobbling in to bowl in the last KKR game at Eden Gardens. While it is understandable that the franchise needs him, especially when they still have a chance to make the play-offs, it is equally true that Varun is a contracted cricketer and a national team player. To see him play on with an injury is troubling and sends out the wrong signal.

Yes, the BCCI Secretary has said that for the two months of the IPL, the teams have the final say on players, but it is equally true that the tournament is a BCCI property and Varun is a centrally contracted player. For him to push himself and aggravate an injury is not fair on the cricketer either, and this issue could well become a major talking point at the end of the IPL.

Personally, I do not think a player should risk injury and play on. Varun is not getting any younger and, being a part of the national set-up, his position is different from that of any other player who is not centrally contracted. While KKR’s dependence on him is understandable, this creates a dangerous precedent going forward. And to see commentators taking a position in support of the act is strange.

While they are paid to commentate on the IPL, it is equally pertinent that they remain true to their responsibility towards the game. Varun is key to India’s white-ball set-up, and there is no way he should risk himself to be a part of anything, including the IPL.

While the IPL is the biggest cash cow for Indian cricket, it is, and always will be, a domestic competition that can never match a World Cup in prestige and credibility. Winning a World Cup or a multi-nation tournament is fundamentally different, and national team matters must always be accorded the priority they deserve. Here, the player also needs to be honest and transparent. Does Varun believe that it is not a problem and that there is no real discomfort in carrying on? Has medical advice cleared him to continue playing?

Going ahead, the BCCI will need to rethink the issue. Yes, the franchises are paying top dollar to the players and yes, the league is hugely important. But it is the BCCI that runs the sport in the country and acts as the custodian of the league as well. It should always be India first, and that principle applies to the IPL too.

If the BCCI believes a player is putting himself at risk, it needs to step in and stop it. That is how it should be, and every necessary step should be taken in that regard. While I could understand Varun playing on if the injury had been picked up in the middle of a game, in this case he is entering the game already injured, and that is what is alarming.

In the end, the call has to be taken by the BCCI – not the franchise, nor the player, and certainly not the commentators. If the BCCI feels Varun is jeopardising his India chances, it needs to stop him from playing on. No more and no less.

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