England all-rounder Will Jacks said his experience playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has given him the “perfect preparation” for the T20 World Cup.
The 25-year-old Jacks is set to make his debut in the IPL, widely considered the best franchise league in the world, and play in his first international tournament for England.
He played eight times for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and scored a 41-ball consecutive century against Gujarat Titans to help the team recover from a poor start and reach the playoffs.
Jacks left the tournament early to join England, who have limited preparations for the T20 World Cup.
They have played just 13 T20s since winning the tournament in Australia in November 2022.
They are in the midst of a four-match series against Pakistan but the opening game was rained out and Tuesday’s game in Cardiff could also be affected by bad weather.
“that [the IPL] “It was perfect preparation,” Jacks, who made his 12th England T20 appearance in Saturday’s 27-run win, told BBC Sport.
“It was fantastic. Everything that happens there – the crowd, the atmosphere and of course the attention – was totally different to anything I’ve experienced before, but I felt it was great preparation.”
“Going into the match at Edgbaston [on Saturday]I wasn’t too nervous to be honest – of course playing for England is incredible but I didn’t feel any added pressure or expectations.
“After the last two months, it just came natural for me and I felt very comfortable and the IPL has also helped. There is a lot of responsibility with every match and all the expectations of the fans and the crowd are there too.”