Vishwas Puri
The 2007 World Cup affected Indian cricket in several ways. Fielding, strike rate, and a number of other aspects got upgraded after the T20 World Cup triumph. Many of them are listed below.
Within a year of the first T20, the IPL got introduced, which has been a peak source of entertainment for Indians since then. The majority of the Indian audience could not get to watch the whole ODI and Test matches because they were too long in terms of time. but the introduction of T20 and especially the IPL, as people can watch the match even after a busy day. A T20 march mostly ends within 3.5 to 4 hours.
After the T20 World Cup 2007, Indian Cricket started putting more emphasis on fielding. The fielding standards were lifted as good fitness was required to perform well not just with the bat and ball, but also the fielding in the match. Due to this shift in fielding standards, players like Virendra Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, and Gautam Gambhir were benched rotationally.
Another change we witnessed after that event, was understanding the importance of cameos in cricket. Earlier the players were criticized for losing their wicket early even after scoring at a brisk strike rate, whereas nowadays teams are including players, especially for their short cameos, but at a brisk strike rate.
The introduction of the IPL after the first T20 world cup, also provided numerous opportunities to young talents. The league acted as a platform for emerging players to showcase their skills and knock the doors for internationals. Not just opportunities, the league provided high-paying contracts to even emerging players, providing them a better lifestyle.
The effect of strike rate in the T20 World Cup was not just on the T20i’s, but also the ODI and Test format. The major reason for exclusion of Indian players like Chiteshwar pujara was his low strike rate. The strike rate became a big thing in Indian cricket jus after that World Cup
Apart from the pros, there are also some cons of the league. With the emergence of the IPL after the World Cup win, it allowed the overseas players to visit India and adapt to the situations and pitches of the country, which was a plus point in the favour of their respective countries. When these players used to come to India to play against India, the league made the Indian pitches identical to these players. Some of the big players which greatly benefited from this aspect were Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakara, Daniel Vettori, Faf Du Plesis, and many other players.
