The dream of every cricketer is to play for his or her nation. More than a decade back, the scope for an Indian player was very limited because the domestic circuit does not pay enough to keep afloat. India is one of the most competitive cricket playing nations for two reasons- the quality of the cricket produced and secondly for the amount of players every year who set out to make it big in the cricket scene. The irony is while we see the glamour associated with the 11 players who reach the big stage, the struggles and hardships of those who miss out are often never even spoken about. Therefore, the origin of the Indian Premiere League(IPL) was one of the best ideas of the decade possibly even the century because it has revolutionised the way we know cricket today.
After the success of T-20 format in the world and India's victory in the world cup, many saw an opportunity to create something amazing out of this. Zee enterprises introduced the Indian Cricket League- the first of a kind franchise based cricket league. However, the BCCI did not like this. This league was not a success because it lacked the hype, lustre and stardom. Most of the big players did not participate and only players from Asian countries were a part of it. BCCI being a cash rich board and a prime influencing body of the ICC decided to boycott the ICL and eventually launched its own league which we know today as the IPL. This league was bigger and more popular because all the big names of cricket participated in it. The IPL was responsible for bringing all the world class talent under the same roof. Even though the IPL was not an original idea of the BCCi, it was only due to the power of the cricket board in India that the IPl today is something we all wait for.
It is pretty obvious that the IPL has a lot of benefits. It has made the players, BCCI and other cricket boards richer over the years. BCCI has paid over 2500 crore in taxes alone till now. Every year there are many takers for the sponsorship and broadcast rights which make the league even bigger. India has thus maintained its position of being the commercial powerhouse of world cricket. In terms of broadcast rights per game, the IPL ranks third after the NFL and English Premier league. The Indian uncapped players are the ones who are able to be financially secure by securing in big contracts during their teenage years. There are many rags to riches stories because of the IPL. Even players who cannot find a place in their international teams often find it easier to be selected in the IPL which provides them the resources to keep playing the game they love. Besides the money aspect, the IPL also provides a platform for the young cricketers to showcase their talent on a world stage. A few years back, the only way of finding a place in the international team was by performing in domestic cricket. However, today impressive performances in the IPL catch the eye of the international selectors even more. The new normal eventually will be to start your career by featuring in the IPL rather than domestic cricket. The international exposure given to the Indian cricketers has surely improved Indian cricket over the years. I personally feel that the IPL is not only about sport but an entire entertainment package for all sections of society owing to its mass appeal and glamour.
An interesting debate arises when people condemn IPL as fixed. The mystery behind it remains uncovered. We, as the audience, are not aware whether it is the balance between the teams, fixed matches or a mixture of the two which makes the league so entertaining to watch. Needless to say, the IPL today is deemed as a festival of cricket lasting two month every year and it remains to see whether the other cricket leagues of the world can reach the heights the IPL has achieved.
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