Is IPL performance a guaranteed ticket to Team India?

For a very long time, cricket enthusiasts have discussed and dissected whether the IPL has been a boon or a bane to Indian cricket. However, with India's recent success, many are convinced that it is one of the key factors leading to the development of the sport in the nation.

Is it correct to assume that good IPL performance guarantees selection to the Indian team? The following discussion looks to explain how the selection process has been working of late in Indian cricket.

The IPL was founded with the idea of giving talented cricketers in India a chance to rub shoulders with the best players in the sport and showcase their skills in front of big crowds. They could pick the brains of the senior cricketers and hone their skills.

For years, the IPL has produced talented cricketers who have gone on to do well for the national team. Players would do well for their domestic teams and get picked up by IPL franchises at the auction. After impressing the cricket fraternity with their performances in the cash-rich league, players would start knocking on the doors of the national selectors.

However, these days, the model is not working in such a simplified manner. There are various aspects to the selection or non-selection of a player in the Indian team.

Selection process doesn't always depend on IPL form

For example, someone like Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has showcased his ability to go after the bowling from the first ball across the last few seasons of the IPL, has not been able to get too many opportunities in the Indian T20I.

Roles, formats, and captaincy conundrum

Someone like Shreyas Iyer has shown that he is not just a good T20 batter but a fabulous captain. He won the Kolkata Knight Riders the IPL title in 2024 and took the Punjab Kings to the final in 2025, the franchise's first appearance at that stage in 11 years. However, Shreyas has not played a T20I match since December 2012. So, IPL performances don't guarantee a spot in the Indian team.

Also, there have been examples of players who have done well in the IPL but have been picked in other formats. In recent times, Sai Sudharsan finished as the highest run-getter in IPL 2025 and was subsequently picked in India's squad for the five-match Test tour of England. He had a first-class average of less than 40 at that stage.

In the IPL, an opening batter might perform well, but when he gets picked in the Indian team, he could be asked to bat lower down the order if there are proven openers already in the setup. This could affect performance.

How good a performance in IPL convinces selectors?

IPL gives players a great opportunity to showcase their skills against some tough opposition. However, international cricket is still considered a different ball game. There could be one or two weak links in a bowling attack in franchise cricket, but in international cricket, only the best players get picked. So even if a player does well in the IPL, selectors have to gauge whether the player will be able to translate that form into international cricket.

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Conclusion

So, it is not entirely correct to believe that IPL performances open the gates to the national team. However, this does not make IPL's importance to Indian cricket any lesser. The kind of success India have had in ICC events of late is a testament to the league's positive influence on cricket in the country.