IPL shouldn’t be blamed for England flop: Unmukt Chand

“So much importance is given to the Ranji Trophy that you can’t take out Test cricket from any player’s blood. It is very much there,” said Unmukt on the sidelines of a programme in the capital on Wednesday.With India suffering a humiliating Test series loss in England, several critics have singled out the IPL as one of the factors for the team’s poor performance.

Chand however, stressed that T20 also plays an important part in the development of a cricketer, adding that it was wrong to blame the IPL for the debacle in England.

“All three formats are equally important. If certain players are doing well in certain formats, it doesn’t give the real answers. If you look at players like Sachin Tendulkar and other greats of the game, they have excelled in all three versions. So equal importance is given to everything. T20 is just an extra opportunity that you get to showcase your talent till the time you play for the country,” the 21-year-old said.

“With the IPL, many young talents got a chance to interact with the top players of the world. This was something that was impossible in the past if you hadn’t represented the country. So this experience is very important for every cricketer in building his overall personality and cricketing skills. I have gained a lot being part of Rajasthan Royals and before that with Delhi Daredevils,” he added.

Talking about the India team’s dismal performance in England, Unmukt said, “One day it goes up and another day, it comes down. I’m sure the team will again be up and running.”