League cricket a ‘good deal’ for players, claims ex-IPL star

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the richest leagues in cricket where players earn a ton of money and former stars like Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan and New Zealand’s Ross Taylor believe that league cricket is a “good deal” for players.

Dilshan, who was part of the inaugural IPL in 2008 with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and also Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in later seasons, played 38 matches in the tournament over the years and amassed 735 runs. Meanwhile, Taylor appeared in 55 matches and scored 1017 runs while representing multiple teams.

Dilshan stressed that many players only play cricket and have no source of income outside it. Since everyone needs money to survive, the Sri Lankan great emphasised that league cricket is a good deal for players as they aren’t paid that much by their countries.

"Playing T20 cricket involved a lot of money, and I know that our countries don't pay that much money, but that money helped him to keep other problems aside and focus only on cricket,” Dilshan told the 180 Not Out podcast.

“That's an advantage, we can focus fully on cricket. Everyone needs money to survive, and we're only playing cricket now, not doing any other jobs. I think it's a good deal, money is good for players and they can keep all problems aside and focus."

Taylor also opened up on how IPL provides a platform for international talent to flourish as they get to interact with renowned cricketers on the pitch.

"IPL is providing a platform for international players to interact with some of the best cricketers in the world, ultimately shaping the future of the sport in their country," said Taylor.