The Indian Premier League is here to stay with its massive sixes, bank-busting crores, hyperventilating commentators, the rags-to-riches cricketers and its general air of ‘all is well with the world.’ Whether it will EVENTUALLY SOUND the death knell for cricket’s longer formats only time will tell, writes K. C. Vijay Kumar.
A nerve-wracking last-ball finish marked a perfect end to the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL). Mumbai Indians scored a one-run victory against Rising Pune Supergiant in the summit clash, in Hyderabad, on May 21. It was fitting that the climax had enough twists and turns to put even the most riveting Bollywood pot-boiler in the shade.
TRUTH BE TOLD, the IPL has largely dished out a gripping fare despite raising the hackles of the purists who swear by Test cricket and the tenacity of batting on a wearing fifth-day pitch. As a brand, the IPL has grown right from that inaugural game at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18, 2008, when Brendon McCullum’s 73-ball 158 injected adrenaline into the league and powered Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a 140-run victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
In its early years, the IPL was such a humongous television spectacle that even the release of films, cutting across languages and budgets, were delayed. ‘Avoid a clash with the IPL,’ was the mantra of many box-office gurus. Gradually, the viewership began to crystallise around team loyalties, and as the league’s following seemingly stabilised, movies began to breathe easy. This summer, for instance, Baahubali 2 was released to a thundering ovation.
THE NOVELTY OF the IPL has waned and there is an easy acceptance of the format that has become so relevant to the Indian summer, like the desire for mangoes. Gone are the days when an IPL player-auction drew gasps. Now even crores seem like small change, as every year franchises break the bank to snare their favourite player. That famous Adam Gilchrist quote about the inaugural auction — “There was a little element of feeling like a cow. But it’s interesting and unique. There is a slight uneasiness. But let us allow it to settle down.” — now sounds archaic.
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