Sam Billings defends IPL commitments after being named Kent skipper

English cricketer Sam Billings was snapped up by Chennai Super Kings franchise ahead of the upcoming season of the IPL. However, the deal comes less than a fortnight after the wicketkeeper-batsman was named Kent captain. This has now ruffled feathers but the 26-year-old claims English cricket needs to accept a new reality.

Billings was one of eight Englishmen picked up in last week’s IPL auction, joining international team-mate Mark Wood at Chennai Super Kings in a £110,000 deal, while a further 16 went unsold including Test captain Joe Root.

Taking part in the world’s biggest T20 tournament is hardly a step into the unknown for Billings, who has successfully plied his trade across various T20 franchise all around the globe. He featured in the IPL as well for Delhi Daredevils in the last two editions but doing so as a newly-appointed county skipper is a new experience.

Owing to his IPL commitments, Billings will miss up to two months at the start of the season, a news which has stirred consternation among the Canterbury faithful. But with the England and Wales Cricket Board increasingly keen for the country’s top talent to test their skills on the T20 circuit, he is merely part of a vanguard.

Billings highlights the perks of playing in IPL

Speaking on the same lines, the Kent cricketer said, “The changing face of the world of cricket is moving rapidly and people need to be aware that these opportunities do not come up often and you can’t afford to miss the IPL.”

He added, “If the Test captain is putting his name in the hat then surely people have to wake up and see ‘ok, maybe we need to take it on board’. It’s not just pajama cricket and blokes wanting to chase the cash. I think the problem with people at the moment is that they have this idea of the IPL and these other tournaments but we wouldn’t be playing in them if they weren’t improving us as cricketers.”