The annual cricket festival has begun. Indeed, the Indian Premier League has come to that, an entertainment that has surpassed all expectations for cricket lovers. One need not have to be cricket-knowledged to understand this shorter version of the sport, but ask anyone who can enjoy the thrills of watching the contest between the bat and the ball, where big hitting is the rule rather than an exception! Amazing how the ODIs and cricket’s next avatar, the T20s, have transformed the sport not just into a multi-million industry but also produced the kind of magnetic effect which used to be the characteristic of big-time football especially. The latest edition of IPL provides the evidence for this with packed stadiums, be it in Chennai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Mumbai or Ahmedabad. And, these are just the early days yet of the competition.
What makes IPL 'special' as the League enters the 17th edition is the importance it has gained not just in the national domestic cricket calendar but internationally as well. IPL represents the best set of players from all cricket-playing countries, barring Pakistan (not to speak of several ex-cricketers of high standing as team officials), and the price tag of each player reflects the value of the player, with the bat or ball. Lakhs and Crores of rupees go into getting the players, and surely, these are the kind of talents who light up the competition and make it what it has been all these years. Samples of their capabilities have already come on view in the few matches that have gone by like the West Indian Andre Russell for Kolkata Knight Riders, South African Heinrich Klaasen for Sun Risers Hyderabad and, of course, our own Sanju Samson for Rajasthan Royals. They all produced six-hitting feasts to leave the fans spellbound. Surely, more such spectacular moments are waiting to come as the days go by.
There was a time when cricket, called the gentlemen’s game was all about traditions, steeped in techniques. Test matches, which used to be the sole exhibition of cricket, used to be long-drawn affairs, and the fans would not mind that. For there was as much thrill in watching a classic cover drive as to wait and see their favourite batsmen pile up a century taking his own time! Or, their bowling hero cleans up a rival innings with spin or pace bowling. Time was no constraint. In fact, watching long hours was a pleasure that was reserved for the true lovers of the sport. Much has happened since, and mostly so after the evolvement of the shorter version of cricket. Today, perhaps teams struggle to keep the competition going the full five days in Test matches for the ‘instant action’ and ‘quick finish’ mentality has settled in the minds of players. The recent India-England Test series is an example of how fortunes swung and quick finishes followed.
Considering that, the IPL has come a long way. What used to be an eight-team affair to start with in 2008 with a salary cap of Rs 20 crore, the event has expanded to ten teams now, and what is more the salary cap has risen to Rs 100 crore. The best players obviously demand a bigger price. When once the Rs 9.5 crore bid price of M.S. Dhoni by Chennai Super Kings took one’s breath away, we witnessed how now KKR came out with a Rs 24.75 crore price for Mitchell Starc. Not far behind was SRH, which shelled out Rs 20.50 crore to get Pat Cummins! Money has soared, and so have revenues, interest and, of course, the fortunes of players in the sport. The best in the sport get a look-in, and to that extent, the greatest benefit so far as Indian cricket is concerned is the assured supply of fresh talents to the national pool. New names not just surface but become household fame before one edition is played out, and that provides an assurance that all is well with Indian cricket!
In a way, it is a measure of its appeal that has made IPL a stand-out success. What is more, the recent conduct of the Women’s Premier League, just before IPL got underway, proved it had become an ideal forum for women to exhibit their cricketing talent. That WPL 2024 produced excellent fare is now history. There were close matches, big-hitting batting, intelligent bowling, not to forget the sixes and fours to attract sell-out crowds! Only in its second year, the five-team WPL gave sufficient indication of even more promising times in the seasons ahead. For a start, it must be said the WPL seemed a perfect rehearsal for the IPL this time!
As experts now say, IPL has changed the world of cricket. Since its launch, the T20 league mushroomed in other cricketing nations, but IPL retained its stature, nay grew to be the best in the business. Another significant positive of this event is that even amidst the worst odds, like the Covid-19 invasion, the interest in the competition did not dip. In 2021, for instance, matches were held in empty stadia, midway, the event had to be postponed and restarted not in India but in UAE months later. The interest did not come down, nor did the success or the enthusiasm of the event slide. One remembers the sentiments of prominent personalities and legendary cricketers at the time of the launch of IPL way back in 2008. The consensus then was that the event would be a landmark in cricket. Years later, now the verdict has to be that IPL has changed the direction of cricket and the lives of cricketers too!
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How IPL has changed the direction of cricket!
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28.03.2024
The annual cricket festival has begun. Indeed, the Indian Premier League has come to that, an entertainment that has surpassed all expectations for cricket lovers. One need not have to be cricket-knowledged to understand this shorter version of the sport, but ask anyone who can enjoy the thrills of watching the contest between the bat and the ball, where big hitting is the rule rather than an exception! Amazing how the ODIs and cricket’s next avatar, the T20s, have transformed the sport not just into a multi-million industry but also produced the kind of magnetic effect which used to be the characteristic of big-time football especially. The latest edition of IPL provides the evidence for this with packed stadiums, be it in Chennai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Mumbai or Ahmedabad. And, these are just the early days yet of the competition.
What makes IPL 'special' as the League enters the 17th edition is the importance it has gained not just in the national domestic cricket calendar but internationally as well. IPL represents the best set of players from all cricket-playing countries, barring Pakistan (not to speak of several ex-cricketers of high standing as team officials), and the price tag of each player reflects the value of the player, with the bat or ball. Lakhs and Crores of rupees go into getting the players, and surely, these are the kind of talents who light up the competition and make it what it........
© Mathrubhumi English
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