What is the event that marks the ascendancy of India on the world stage? Some would say our nuclear tests, but since I think the bat is mightier than the bomb, I would say it is the I.P.L. Now, cricket is the one sport where we do not suck. Also it does not hurt to be a financial powerhouse due a large section of our population hung–up on the game. What better way to emboss these credentials than hold a multi-million dollar league which invites the best players of the world to compete on the domestic turf in T-20 format.
The team owners are all wealthy Indians who can afford to throw crores of rupees out of their kitty and not feel the pinch. They knew that their investment would not go in vain as cricket is and will be the heroin of the masses. This concept married bollywood with cricket and a joyful honeymoon was marked by the successful opening of IPL 3. In a study, it was found that I.P.L was the most expensive league after N.B.A and .A league not even 5 yrs old, still in its infancy and a hotshot moneymaker? This could only happen in India, where the one addiction permissible is cricket.
At every match, you can see a top businessman, actor, politician, minister and of course the hordes which make the format the success that it is. This illustrates the mass appeal of the I.P.L and the fact that it exerts a considerable pull over the imaginations of a sizable chunk of the population.
For the I.P.L, I am of two minds. Sometimes, I think to myself that it’s giving good exposure to sports in India. When I am a bit more cynical, I tend to think that it’s an obnoxious display of wealth, an inevitable result of globalization, which has pumped money into our economy and made fortunes.
When I am in the first state of mind, I think I.P.L is a good thing for a cricket crazy nation like India. It’s a good clean form of entertainment unlike other vulgar programmes on T.V. It encourages budding cricketers to pursue their passions seriously. It provides upcoming cricketers with a significant platform other than the national team, Ranji trophy etc. The big cricketers of India also become adept at the format thanks to such an exposure. (At-least in theory). Many people also get employment such as caterers at the venue, the people who designed the team jerseys, the commentators, the umpires and the security personnel who are assigned to especially guard the teams etc.
On the dark side, is it really prudent for a third-world country like India, where al-least 500 million live acute poverty, to put money in such a glitzy mirage. Since resources are limited (the basic teaching of economics) what if all this money had been diverted to encompass more poor people in Nandan Nilekani’s I-card scheme, or upgrade our C.R.P.F forces to combat internal threats, or ensure a decent school with decent teachers in every village of India or perhaps build quality universities and colleges all over India. I am just making random guesses but the possibilities of putting all this money to better use are endless, really!!!’
Another intriguing fact is that before the I.P.L started, India was the T-20 champion of the world. After I.P.L-2, India could not even reach the semifinal. I guess this is because I.P.L causes fatigue among the Indian players who constitute a majority in the league. (They are the human after all)
Also, other sports requiring promotion such as volleyball, Hockey etc. may get sidelined thanks to I.P.L. The I.P.L could end up aggravating the public’s ‘chalta-hai’ attitude towards the development of other sports since all their (public’s) attention is consumed by cricket.
For the I.P.L lovers I wish to end by saying this-
“Lusty sixes,
Beautiful cheerleaders,
Celebrities around,
Adrenaline pumping action on the ground,
Is this heaven?
No, it’s the I.P.L!!!!”
And this is for the IP.L haters-
“Victimizing of bowlers,
Money wasted on frivolity,
Crass commercialization,
Murder of tradition,
Cricket’s domination,
Is this hell?
No it’s the I.P.L!!!!”
