IPL will put players in good frame of mind ahead of T20 WC in India: Bairstow

Bairstow, who is currently involved in the three-match ODI series against India, will turn up for Sunrisers Hyderabad when the IPL gets underway on April 9.

England opener Jonny Bairstow feels the upcoming IPL will put the players in a "good frame of mind" going into the T20 World Cup as they will play in conditions similar to the ICC event in India later this year.

Jonny Bairstow celebrates his fifty during the first ODI against India in Pune (PTI)

Bairstow, who is currently involved in the three-match ODI series against India, will turn up for Sunrisers Hyderabad when the IPL gets underway on April 9.

"It will be a great opportunity to play at different grounds that we could potentially be playing in the T20 World Cup. Also to see how different teams will go about bowling in those conditions," Bairstow said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

"Because, naturally with the dimension of the grounds and also wickets, it varies how attacks go about defending totals and batsmen go about setting them, so it will be an interesting competition."

Sunrisers Hyderabad will open their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai on April 11.

"Obviously playing over here, it was a new ground, it was a lot of learning but the games that we have got in IPL will be in Chennai. However, the acclimatisation in India, whether it would be to the conditions or weather or in general will hopefully help," he said.

"... to be a part of the IPL, if you can come and do well in that hopefully then leading up to the World Cup, can only put in a good frame of mind because we have quite a few players playing in that."

Talking about life in a bio-secure bubble, Bairstow said: "It is very difficult ... from January 2nd till now it has been just 10 days that I was home. In September when we went into the bubble at Manchester, up until Christmas, obviously there was a couple of weeks off till January.

"So it is tough being away and people are going to need rest. It is not easy just turning up and playing cricket.

"Living at a certain floor of the hotel, not able to leave the hotel ... being away from families is tough and the break that people are getting through the winter has been important for people's mental and physical health."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.