This is a very pertinent article considering the times we are in and I cannot believe that it took this long to write this topic because the bench strength of India is one of the best things we have currently. Only England are close when it comes to the bench strength that India have and even then they would be beaten by the second choice Indian team. It makes me proud as a Team India fan that there are so many amazing players to choose from because that is a headache that everyone wants to have.
Before we get into the reasons why this bench strength has developed let’s talk about what is going on currently. One Indian team is in Australia and 15 members are there and they will play the World Cup and on the other hand an equally strong team full of young players who want to prove themselves are taking on the South Africa full strength team and giving them a run for their money. This shows the all round development of Indian cricket. Now let’s look at the reasons for this bench strength.
IPL
The main reason for this kind and quality of bench strength is because of the IPL which has been going on for the last 15 years and almost all the players in the set-up have come up from the IPL. The IPL has given India players from the remote areas of the nation which we would not have gotten if it was not for the IPL. Players for every position are available like top order batters, middle order batters, spin bowling, fast bowling etc. The two teams that are assembled have players that can play in either team and they can beat the best in the world.
Domestic Cricket
Before the IPL there was the regular domestic cricket season that India has been having since the last 80 years or so and this has given us so many great cricketers that have gone on to play for India. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev etc are all products of domestic cricket and even the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma from the current crop of players. The Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali , Duleep Trophy all are great opportunities.
More Finance
Whether we want to admit it or not, finances are one of the most important parts of the game and everyone wants stability and if there are more finances then cricket will become a stable career option for a lot of young players from small towns of India and more players will want to play for India. The IPL has played a big role in improving the finances of the players and now anyone who has talent and wants to work hard can play the game.
The Bench Strength means internal healthy competition amongst the players and if the players playing for India know that there are backup players ready to take their places then this will motivate them to work harder and get more runs or wickets for India. Therefore having a bench strength is great for any team.
