49.4 million people, biting their nails at the edge of their
seats. With their eyes glued to the pitch, observing every motion of the ball
when it touches the bat, screaming their lungs out for every four and six. Can
you imagine, where it is going or coming from? Yes you guessed it right the one
and only IPL- Indian Premier League, one of the most watched and loved
competition in the world of cricket. However that’s not all… trust me when I
say it has its good, not so good and even an ugly but interesting side. So,
let’s explore …
To begin, IPL or the Indian Premier League is a professional
Twenty20 cricket league in India contested every year by franchise teams
representing Indian cities. The league founded by the Board of control over
cricket in India. (BCCI) member Lalit Modi in 2007 is scheduled over April and
May every year.
Further more, the IPL works on a franchise system based on
the American style of hiring players and transfers. These franchises were put
for auction, the highest bidder won the rights to own the team, representing
each city. Infact, the IPL is the most attended cricket league in the world and
ranks sixth among all sports leagues. It makes cricket look more like a real
sport where players need to be athletic and agile. It’s a good career option
for many retired or out of form cricketers like Miachel Hussey or Gautam
Gambhir who don’t get to play with good international cricketers everyday. I am
sure local business, including for example garment industry are thrilled at the
economic activity.
Moreover when you think of IPL, you think of the big stars
like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB De Villiers etc. but you don’t
realize the youngsters like KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Yuvzendra Chahal, Sran
etc. They get a chance to play with experienced players and learn from them.
And even if they’re not out on the pitch they can still watch from the dugout
and learn something which they can use in the future.
However not everything related to IPL is as good as it
appears. There are some negative influences as well. IPL is scheduled in April
and May the hottest months of Indian summer. These were reserved for rest to
the players before next season of cricket. But due to IPL, players are now
overly exhausted and they don’t have enough time to recover from injuries.
Besides, Indian players and conditions are getting overexposed to the Indian
players.
But it is the ugly side of IPL that has made it
controversial. The first commissioner of IPL, Lalit Modi was given a life ban,
the Kochi franchise was terminated and worst of them all, the spot fixing
charges. All of these incidents and some more like on-field spats between
Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth, Gautum Gambhir and Virat Kohli leave a bad taste
in the mouth indeed.
Of course, the IPL still remains hugely popular in India and
abroad. Personally I love IPL. Its great entertainment and that’s what a game
should be for a viewer. Infact I look forward to IPL during the summer holidays
every year. I cheer for my home team RCB. I have been to the Chinnaswamy
stadium twice and the experience was awesome. The excitement and energy was unbelievable.
There is never any dull or boring moment.
Lastly, the IPL changed the way cricket is played in India
and has brought in huge scope for the entertainment industry as well. Twenty20
cricket became popular after India won the world cup in 2007 and the IPL has
since then crashed on the craze. Controversy or no controversy IPL still
remains a thrilling cricketing competition for cricket lovers around the world.
To sum it up, let’s not forget that the greatest cricketing event in India can
be a giant platform to energise the masses for the greater good.
GLOSSARY
Agile- Able to move quickly or easily
BCCI- Board of cricket control in India
IPL- Indian Premier League
Spot fixing- The action or practice of dishonesty determining
the outcome of a specific part of a match.
REFRENCES
Wikipedia
Timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Quora.com
Thehindu.com
Yahoo.com
Blogcricketlovers.blogspot.in
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