Gone are those days when people used to stay glued to their television screens to watch a Test match. Nowadays, Individuals find it difficult to even follow a 50-over match ball-by-ball.
Going by the trend, slam-bang Twenty-20 cricket was introduced and even before the ink got dry on the page, it became people's favorite. Three hours of the day to witness a full match is not a huge deal. Batsmen staging aggression, bowlers showcasing their variety and fielders always on their toes. Not to mention, the voice of the commentators have risen higher than ever before. What more can a ripe cricket fan wish for!
Soon after T20 was introduced, various domestic leagues were organised across different cricket playing nations. India too didn't lag behind, and Indian Premier League (IPL) was launched in 2008, with a primary motive of grooming the Indian youngsters for the international level. In no time, the league got significant fame, not only in India but all across the world. Packed houses in almost all the matches were a proof of that.
Year after year, IPL transpired and achieved enormous success everytime. After 10 hugely successful seasons, one needs to wonder and look back if indeed IPL is serving its primary motive of being an ultimate platform for youngsters to achieve recognition or it has become a mere money-making event. The tournament has come under scrutiny various times for all the wrong reasons.
IPL has given roots to gamblers all over the world, with lakhs of people betting illegally on the match output. Young players getting involved in match fixing and spot fixing was something certainly Indian fans didn't hope for. It has become more of the business and mode of entertainment rather than addressing the needs of grassroot Indian cricket, due to which it can shake the faith of the viewers and also make a ruinous impact on the reputation of the Gentlemen's game.
Involvement of team managers, regular players and other renowned dignitaries in match/spot fixing to such a level where SC had to place a ban on the teams and players is not bearable for a fan of any sport.
Adding to it, the tournament allows four foreign players in the playing XI. They do bring in a lot of experience to share with the youngsters. However, handing over a foreign player the role of captaincy is doing no good to an Indian player. Such significant roles should be allotted to an Indian player in order to allow him to showcase his leadership skills. If for not IPL, who would have known that Indian players like Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir have such impressive leadership qualities. Such team managements should be praised and other franchises should soon be made aware of the same.
Many Indian raw talents are disdained by the selectors in the auction, thus, busting their dreams. Players like Krishna Das, Abu Nechim, Irfan Pathan, Unmukt Chand, S Badrinath and many such who are persistent performers at the domestic level are looked over. Even after coming good in IPL seasons constantly, young players are dropped from the Indian National Team. One such example is Manoj Tiwary, who has scored and adopted to any situation as asked for is nowhere to be seen in the Indian team now. This brings us to the same question, with what motive was IPL introduced?
If senior Indian players like R Ashwin, R Jadeja and any other is out of form, they are expected to be replaced by someone from the young lot. However, Indian selectors prefer experience over form in any situation. For instance, the reason for India's defeat in the hands of rival Pakistan in the recently concluded Champions Trophy is none other than selecting out of form players in the playing XI. Talents like Kuldeep Yadav, Manoj Tiwary, Krishna Das deserved a place in the team more than Ashwin and Jadeja, and that would have come as a bolt out of the blue for the opponents.
IPL may have given India many star players and also witnessed emerging young talents, but it has become a money rendering business, with BCCI earning more and more revenue. Due to the malpractices, IPL has certainly begun to lose its charm over the people.
As quoted by one, "How can you take this tournament seriously now? All the money in the world, and they can't get a dog off the pitch. Imagine if it started relieving itself on a good length"
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