Indian Premier League: Beyond Cricket

The 2008 baby has grown into an all-pervasive behemoth today. Many swear cricket is a veritable religion in India, which could perhaps explain IPL’s meteoric rise. But people say the same thing about Bollywood, and that industry is currently reeling at the altar of the smartphone.

So, what keeps the league ticking? How has it become so enmeshed in the nation’s culture and psyche? The festive vibe the tournament imbues every summer is, according to former India medium pacer Atul Wassan, akin to the annual village fair, only much bigger in scale. “IPL brings a civic pride and sense of community. That is why it’s become so popular,” Wassan says.

The pride could have deleterious effects, as seen in the recent Bengaluru stampede that led to the tragic loss of at least 11 lives. The incident tarnished the Royal Challengers’ maiden triumph and raised grave concerns about the logistical and security arrangements put in place for a victory parade of that magnitude. It also typified the absolute, unflinching fan loyalty some franchises have amassed over time.

This allegiance is not entirely rooted in cricketing factors, Wassan points out. “People don’t go to IPL matches on the ground to watch cricket,” he says. “They go to see the cricketers and enjoy the ambience. It’s like a carnival.” This is why the ex-international player, a Test-loving “traditionalist”, doesn’t consider IPL to be pure cricket. He sees it as a product, where cricket is a part of the package. The format is such that it can be easily consumed without having the esoteric knowledge to appreciate the game. “In Test cricket, you have to understand the intricacies,” Wassan explains. “If a guy has moved 10 yards left from point (fielding position), there is a story behind it. But in IPL, it’s just slam bang—people love to see sixes. That’s why the game is skewed towards the batters.” He reasons that the rules are framed this way because the public likes it. “Who are we to judge!” he asks.

The league has indeed divided opinion and helped to democratise the sport in multiple ways, be it in terms of viewers’ preferences, player scouting or equitable opportunities to prosper. Commentator and former batter for India Sanjay Manjrekar says that while there were examples of players rising from poverty prior to the lucrative league, too, the number of such cricketers has significantly increased now. “There have been stories of a Karsan Ghavri or a Vinoo Mankad, who had to survive on chanas (chickpeas) going to Mumbai,” Manjrekar remembers. “The IPL, however, rewards 150 players every season on an average. You have 15 members featuring for each of the 10 teams. So, that’s where the dream can turn into a reality.”

In the past, if one had to earn money or garner fame, Test cricket was the only available format. This meant there were about 10-15 players who finally achieved that dream from a similar pool size of aspirants as of right now. Reaching the final goal was hence a far tougher prospect.

“Even when they played for India, just seven or eight players actually made more money and earned more fame,” Manjrekar says. The rest had to lean on public sector jobs and other means of financial security. Today, the IPL is a good option for talented young cricketers because the scrutiny for them to get there is not that stringent. It’s not just 10 players making it big, and “so, if anybody plays in the league for 8-10 years, he’s taking care of his future, while doing what he loves,” Manjrekar says.

The downside of that is the resultant neglect of the longer format. With two months of the IPL being far more rewarding than a year-long grind in classical red-ball cricket, the majority naturally gravitate towards the former. Wassan calls it “low-hanging fruit” where people with less talent can build careers as cricketers. Though this is a positive for them, Wassan rues the fact that most people don’t want to even consider taking the hard route to become Test players now. “Everybody wants to become IPL players, and then, rich and famous,” he says. “This is how our society functions, and the jury is still out on whether it’s right or wrong.”

Interestingly, while players from all other major cricketing nations, be it New Zealand, South Africa or Australia, are driven by the same IPL allure, the English ones aren’t, up to some extent. Manjrekar muses on the reasons. “England as a country is very different,” he says. “It cares a lot about heritage and it also adores Test cricket, like no other nation. The format’s soul rests there. It’s part of their DNA and that is the kind of entertainment they like.” The players are aware they get a lot of respect and love. Fans value any cricketer who does extremely well in Tests. “So, they don’t care so much about how great a success they’ve been in the IPL,” Manjrekar adds. “Also, they can still make a decent living without having to play the league, unlike a Kiwi, a South African, or a West Indian player. English society and the system take care of their citizens a little better than other countries.”

The uber-powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is similarly tending to Test cricket, per Manjrekar. He says that the current leadership is making an effort to keep Test cricket vibrant, relevant and important as a format despite all the problems that crop up with it. Even though Test cricket is not a money-making product, the BCCI have committed themselves wholly to all the formats—Tests, One-Day Internationals and T20s—showing what needs to be done. He also says that they have steered clear of favouritism.

Manjrekar instantiates the argument by the number of Test matches India play every year (15 in 2024), and their desire to be the number one Test team. He points out that responsible boards feel the health of Test cricket actually reflects the overall health of the sport in the country. “Look at West Indies,” he says. “They’ve been T20 world champions twice, but in Test cricket, they’re in complete disarray.” He stresses on the fact that when the conversation is about leaders in cricket, you are generally talking about “teams that are doing well in Test cricket, too. Nobody talks about West Indies in the same breath as some of the other teams.” But the short and long formats don’t necessarily have to be at odds. Broadcaster and former wicket-keeper for India Deep Dasgupta rejects the Test-IPL binary. He argues that the world’s biggest T20 league helps Indian players gain confidence prior to stepping into international territory.

“Before IPL, the jump from first-class cricket to the international arena was a huge one in terms of pressure,” Dasgupta says. He likens it to going straight from Class 10 to university. “But now you have another layer in between where you are kind of playing international cricket, without playing international cricket, considering the spotlight, the fame, and most importantly, the quality of bowlers.” Since you get a chance to play against the best and with the best in the world, “your learning is very different”, he adds.

Dasgupta cites the example of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s winning captain Rajat Patidar getting to spend two-and-a-half months with senior cricketer Virat Kohli and observing how he prepares.

“He’s also playing someone like (premier Australia seam bowler) Josh Hazelwood in the nets,” Dasgupta says. “So, you kind of get used to it and when you play international cricket, you’re like, ‘I’ve been here before. I’ve done this before’. That’s the reason now, whenever you see young guys playing for India, they’re almost ready for the challenge. Because they’ve been through all of that.”

Infrastructure development is another aspect. Academies are coming up everywhere, grounds are getting better and players are being spotted from non-traditional centres. Wassan is confident that no talent can slip through the net now. He points out that if someone plays well, even in the hinterland, the person will be found and brought to the forefront. “This didn’t happen before as we had to come to the big cities to play,” he says. “Earlier, only Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai players used to enter the Indian team because all the facilities were limited to those cities. But now, that’s not the case.”

Conversations on equal opportunities in Indian cricket are incomplete without a mention of the rapid strides made in the women’s game. The Women’s Premier League has catalysed this change, and just like the IPL, is here to stay. Dasgupta thinks women’s cricket is the best vehicle for spreading the game far and wide, and the WPL is a key component in that. “It’s just great to see the growth in women’s cricket in the last few years with the introduction of the WPL,” he says. “It will help the sport like the IPL has done for world cricket and Indian cricket…Now that we have a league, it’s going to change the landscape of cricket.”

Bhuvan Gupta is a news editor & correspondent with 카지노