India's World Cup stars needed a break before IPL 2026: Ian Bishop

MUMBAI: Would India’s T20 World Cup winners have fared better had they been given a longer break before turning out for their respective IPL franchises?

Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop, for one, thinks so. The World Cup stars got around 20 days off before the IPL began, and with their bodies still jaded, the results are there to see.

Barring Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan, none of the batters from that team have been consistent in the IPL, while none of the bowlers feature among the top 20 wicket-takers.

The team that has borne the brunt the most is Mumbai Indians, with marquee Indian players like Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Tilak Varma blowing more cold than hot.

“Speaking from the outside, what Bumrah, SKY and Arshdeep put in to win that T20 World Cup at home must have been exhausting. I would have liked to see some of those guys — particularly Bumrah, who was excellent in the World Cup — being given a break to refresh, sit back, analyse, and fine-tune the skills that would take them to another level. I would have liked to see them enjoy the success and refresh themselves,” Bishop said during an interaction on Thursday.

He cited the example of Kolkata Knight Riders’ Varun Chakravarthy and how the rest — due to injury — helped him.

Since his return, the mystery spinner has taken seven wickets in four matches. Bishop also advocated for more varied pitches to balance the contest between bat and ball, which has been skewed this season, with 10 totals of 200-plus already chased down.

“I like the mix of pitches that a tournament can produce. I want to see some good batting surfaces where batters hold sway. But I also want surfaces like the one in Delhi (against RCB) or those in Lucknow that offer something for fast bowlers. Or something like the MICSK game, where the ball gripped and brought Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad into the game,” said the 58-yearold, who is working as an expert with ESPNcricinfo.

Bishop felt that Mumbai Indians’ bowling has let them down this season, and that Punjab Kings will also need to shore up their attack as the tournament crosses the halfway stage. “There are several areas MI will know they need to work on. But if I had to pick one, it would be their bowling. When I go through the numbers, Mumbai and Punjab are at the bottom of the bowling ladder, and that, to me, is problematic. I know we’re seeing a paradigm shift in the way T20 cricket is played, but champion teams usually have strong bowling to complement their batting,” Bishop reckoned.