I.P.L. or Indian Premier League is (as the name suggests) a cricket league tournament that has every cricket lover’s eyeballs fixed on the screen for three months from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. I.P.L. is the brainchild of Lalit Modi, started in 2008 and eleven years later in 2019 it had a revenue of $6.7 Billion. 

Players from 10 countries have participated in I.P.L. 2021. Some even from countries like the U.S.A. and Nepal where the sport has not been widely recognised.

The game is a festival of sports in India. From offices to clubs, hospitals to salons, showrooms to restaurants it’s I.P.L. everywhere for three whole months. 

In 2021, these teams will represent the 8 mega cities of India.

•Chennai Super Kings

•Delhi Capitals

•Kolkata Knight Riders

•Mumbai Indians

•Punjab Kings

•Rajasthan Royals

•Royal Challengers Bangalore

•Sunrisers Hyderabad

So lovers of the sport, wear that jersey of yours and get ready to get wild cause the “Maha Parv” (mega-festival) is back!

What is cricket and I.P.L.?

Cricket is a game that was started by the British colonists. It is played in 130 countries around the world. If you are from the U.S.A. then cricket is not very different from baseball. In this, instead of holding the bat mid-air, you tap it to the ground and make a firm grip before hitting the ball. The I.P.L. is like the M.L.B. or F.I.F.A.

Scandals and Controversies

Betting is a dark spot on the face of any game. In 2020 illegal betting in IPL amounted to ₹200 crore(approx). All channelled through ledgers and account books that are not available to anyone else. The money is transferred among “bookies” in India and abroad to countries like Dubai and Pakistan.

I.P.L. is the brain-child of former B.C.C.I. chairman Lalit Modi. He was also involved in politics and is a big supporter of the B.J.P. In 2010 Lalit Modi was suspended from the B.C.C.I. for misconduct, corruption charges and financial irregularities. B.C.C.I. dispatched an examination against him, and restricted him for life in 2013 after a board saw him as liable of these charges. Modi denied any bad behavior, and put allegations on political competitions.

Some cricket commentators and sport journalists believe that I.P.L. has given the B.C.C.I. enormous cash flow and monopoly rights to govern international cricket.

Has I. P. L. made a positive impact?

Rashid Khan the vice-captain of Afghanistan cricket team said in one of the press conferences that “cricket and I.P.L. will help them and their country get universal recognition. It is a way out of poverty and militancy for the youth of Afghanistan. He said cricket allows him to channel his energy and focus in the right direction”.

Another cricketer, Paras Khadka, captain of the napalese cricket team, said that “events like the I.P.L. and the World Cup helps the players who need money and their country’s economy also gets a boost”.

Like a billion others, I’m also excited for the I. P. L. But I’m concerned over the question of how exclusivity can help an internationally played game?