As the Indian Premier League authorities toy with the idea of hosting the cash-rich extravaganza twice a year from 2011, Delhi captain Virender Sehwag warns it may lead to premature retirements among the top players.
IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi, in a recent interview, said for the first three editions, IPL would remain an annual event but after that, he would like to see the Twenty20 league twice a year, starting in May and September.
Sehwag, however, is apprehensive about the move, which he fears may not augur well for the game.
"I think having it twice a year might trigger premature retirements," he told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday. Sehwag believes the hype and hoopla around IPL notwithstanding, people still put international cricket ahead of the Twenty20 extravaganza and it would be difficult to squeeze in two IPL seasons in an already crammed international calendar.
"I think before they think about introducing a second IPL in the same year, they would have to see the schedule. The fact remains that people at large crave more for international cricket than IPL be it India vs Pakistan or England vs Australia.
"I guess they would have to find at least four months to accommodate two IPLs, which would not be an easy task," Sehwag explained.
"I guess they would have to find at least four months to accommodate two IPLs, which would not be an easy task," Sehwag explained.