Australian players have always managed to be at their best during every IPL season more often than not. Aussie players have had a strong influence on the biggest T20 league in the world. The Indian Premier League is set to help shape Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup squad as coach Justin Langer mulls some key selection calls. Langer said the IPL, running from April 9 to May 30 in India, will help provide answers. Australia’s head coach Justin Langer on Tuesday said that performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year will help to shape the country’s squad for the T20 World Cup later this year in India. The T20 World Cup remains the only major men’s tournament Australia are yet to win, with India to host the next edition in October-November.
“They’re playing in the same conditions (as the World Cup). “We’ll watch that really closely and see who performs well. It’s a great opportunity for a lot of players. They get to play a lot of cricket under pressure, that can only benefit them individually and us collectively.” Langer said. Langer also noted a group of “five or six” players, who weren’t part of the T20 trip to New Zealand, remain certainties to take part in the World Cup. “We’ve got to be really creative and strategic,” Langer said. Meredith and the BBL’s player of the tournament Josh Philippe, who will soon reunite with Virat Kohli at IPL club Royal Challengers Bangalore, both of then made their debut in the trans-Tasman series. “It was nice to see Josh Philippe playing well. We know how destructive Matthew Wade is,” Langer said. “Wade kept well in this series, brings great energy. “Alex Carey is doing really good things for South Australia and the Adelaide Strikers” he added.
Almost every IPL team has an Aussie player with them, some teams have a bunch of them. While the Australian T20I captain Aaron Finch doesn’t have an IPL contact anymore, almost every other player who happens to be in the reckoning for the T20I WC has an IPL contract. Australia are expected to lock in a white-ball tour of the West Indies in June, while a T20 tour of Bangladesh in October will serve as a tune-up for the World Cup.