‘Spending Rs 25 lakh a day in IPL’: Navjot Singh Sidhu confirms return of comments

The flamboyant former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, who will return to the commentary box for the upcoming Indian Cricket League after a gap of ten years, says the glitzy league will help to decide the T20 World Cup squad for India and other countries. After a decade in the ruthless world of politics, Sidhu and his ‘Sidhuisms’ will be back on air in the IPL ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.

“IPL will set the tone for the World Cup. No other cricket tournament happens. The eyes of the world are on IPL. This is where you can grab a spot for the T20 World Cup, not just Indians but even foreign players,” Sidhu told Press Trust of India (PTI) in an interview with IPL’s official television broadcaster ‘Star Sports’.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have not played multiple T20 cricket matches since 2022, are expected to take flights to the US and Caribbean , watch ICC matches.

Can veteran batsmen still add value to the T20 line-up? “They are needed there. They are giants of the world of cricket. Form is like morning dew, it can hide you, but the class of these men carries the stamp of authority.

“I think Kohli is the greatest Indian batsman for the simple reason of his fitness, he gets fitter with age like an old wine. Technically very good, he has adapted to all three Incredible skills in the format and so does Rohit,” Sidhu explained in his inimitable style.

“Both are good players. I’m not sure about Rohit’s fitness level. As you get older, your pace slows down and your reflexes diminish. Sehwag wears glasses and his reflexes are not as good.” Same, I’ve seen it in the IPL.” Sidhu had closely followed India’s performance in last year’s ODI World Cup, where the hosts were the only unbeaten team in the group stage before finishing runners-up. The eventual defeat extended their long wait for a world title, but Sidhu wasn’t too worried.

“In the last World Cup, they played very well, but they just played a bad game. A bad game cannot measure the fate of a team. I see the Indian team dominating for a long time because of the training system of cricketers. Very complete.” Friendly and helpful.

“In my time, despite poor form, people would persevere because there was no replacement. Now, Hardik Pandya is replacing the Indian captain as the captain of Mumbai Indians because of his performance Very good.

“This is not a disparagement of Rohit but just a thought process. The old order has to give way to the new order,” Sidhu said.

There are various options for the wicket-keeper batsman position in the World Cup squad, including Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and KL Rahul, among others.

Sidhu said he would select someone with good batting ability and his batting ability would be “secondary”.

Will take comments like a fish to water

It’s been a while since the 60-year-old has been hosting the mic, but three days after his “first” commentary comeback, the former India opener is as enthusiastic as ever.

“Boss, cricket is my first love. If your hobby becomes your career, there is nothing better than this. A duckling never forgets how to swim and I will take explanations like a fish adapts to water.”

Asked if his sense of humor kept him going during the turbulent phase of his life, Sidhu said: “The secret of my life is that I keep switching on and off. It was difficult for me to stay away from politics, but with that As we grow older, miracles are not over yet. Difficult things can be accomplished immediately, and impossible things take longer.

“Mental fortitude will help me get through any situation I am in now. I have come back more than 20 times in cricket and this is my first comeback as a commentator. From 1999 to 2014-15, I’ve been in a state of limbo.

“A gem cannot be polished without friction, and a man cannot be perfected without being tested,” Sidhu continued, saying that only he could do this.

In the early days of IPL, Sidhu provided the X-factor to the commentary box and his huge success behind the microphone made him a well-known face in the entertainment industry, where he was paid handsomely for his comedy shows.

The money was well beyond what he could have earned as a full-fledged Indian cricketer, but Sidhu said he was never in it to make big bucks.

“I left cricket and joined commentary and I didn’t know if it was something I could do. (Initially) I wasn’t very confident but 10-15 days after the World Cup started, the word Siddhism came up. I No one is walking in an alley, this is the alley of Sidhu.

“The entire game costs Rs 60-70 lakh and I earn Rs 25 lakh per day in the IPL. The satisfaction is not about the money but the time flying by. It’s beautiful.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)