IPL - the new phenomenon to hit India

IPL -

Its is the new buzzword all over town. People everywhere are making it a point to tune in to Set Max every day to catch their favourite cricket stars in action. Skeptics were saying the IPL would not be successful in India, a country where people value the national team more than any other team. But the concept of supporting the home city/state team has caught on and people have taken to it like a fish to water. The stadiums, which were a bit empty on the first couple of days, have been packed ever since..tickets are sold out for every game..

There has been a huge talk about IPL and the impact it has on cricket and especially local Indian cricket. The amount of money pumped into this league is of herculean proportions, with corporate powerhouses like Reliance and Vijay Mallya's UB group along with bollywood A-listers like SRK, Preity Zinta etc paying huge amounts to buy the teams and bidding for the players of their choice.

I really appreciate the way BCCI came up with this idea of involving young talent from different states and making them play with some of the big guns from around the world. The concept of a cricket league is not BCCI's brainchild though, as the idea was originally conceived by Zee's ICL. But nonetheless, it is there for all to see which league is turning out to be the successful one (read: money-spinner). But on another note, there are some glaring facts which show gross misconduct on part of the BCCI.

It stepped so low that it asked all the other countries' national cricket boards to ban their players from the their international team if they join ICL. How can BCCI ask other boards to ban the player from their team and how can other boards even accept this ridiculous request? Did BCCI pay all the boards in this world to do that. Does BCCI control world cricket??...Secondly, it is using the grounds which were supposed to be used for international encounters. I have no issues with that, but when ICL requested for permission to use the grounds, they sent a note to all the grounds in India not to permit ICL matches. Is that the way they encourage a new idea. Is BCCI trying to encourage cricket and youngsters in India or are they trying to make as much money as they can.

Well, I am glad that local players are getting recognition for their efforts and I am hoping a few of them get seats in the national team. Indian selectors should reward the players for their performances in the IPL, even though Twenty20 calls for a different set of skills and requires a different mindset and style of play. I hope some of the newly discovered talent gets some consideration when the selectors decide who plays in the tri-series between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The IPL has produced players who can be put in all forms of the game, be it the limited overs version or test cricket.

Another point i wanted to say was the players' salaries which is stratospheric and somewhat ironical and in a way, not morally right too. Experienced players of proven caliber and skill are being paid lesser than what some might call "One hit wonders" and some not even that! With the salary caps being raised to 20 million dollars from the current 5 million dollars next season onwards, we can expect the players' salaries to be comparable to what football stars earn in the wealthy clubs of the BPL in a couple of years. The English Cricket Board (ECB) will also sooner or later be forced to step down from their stubborn stance of disallowing players from featuring in the IPL and will make exceptions for star players like Kevin Peitersen and Andrew Flintoff to play, grudgingly or otherwise. There are reports of Kevin Peitersen being approached by one of the franchisees for a whopping sum of 16 crores, which provided the deal is inked, would turn make him the costliest player in the IPL..

Well updating you on the current scenario in the IPL, we're running into the fifth week and its already the end of the road for Bangalore,Hyderabad and KKR. Bangalore got some saving grace when they beat Chennai on Wednesday. Its beyond me how such an explosive team like Hyderabad cannot produce a win. How they manage to lose every game is something that is difficult to digest!... Rajasthan and Punjab have definitely confirmed their slots in the semi-finals which leaves Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi in contention for the remaining slots. The latter teams mentioned are fighting tooth and nail and its difficult to say which team will make it now, though we will find out soon enough. The contest is only going to get more thrilling and unpredictable from now on. Rajasthan continues to lead the points table and look to be unrelenting in their momentum towards victory. I support Chennai...though i feel only Mumbai, Punjab and Rajasthan have some solid chances of reaching the finals.

On another note i would like to mention a story i read online about SRK , still reeling from the failure of his IPL team and his show KAPPSTH ( did i get that acronym right?).I read that SRK has told Dada to get out of the tourney in style.."with a bang" quoting SRK. Guess Vijay Mallya should take a leaf out of SRK's book and should learn to support his team through thick and thin. It was grossly unjust on Mallya's part to blame Dravid on the selection of his team and also his team's inability to create a win. He also blamed him for bad team selection. Hell! who told him not to select his own set of players. If Mallya says that he trusted Dravid's judgement that he has to live with it. He can't blame him for his judgement now!...And to add salt to the wound, he went public with this annoucement. I am sure Dravid must have been deeply disturbed as he is someone whose known to be deeply affected by criticism. I would not be surprised if Dravid hands over his resignation after the season though i hope that does not happen as he is the only good player in the team. I cant believe though that he selected players like Boucher and Kallis who were rejects in their own national Twenty20 league...Anyway lets hope something good happens for them next year..

Also commenting on the Bhajji controversy, I totally support the IPL ban and the 5 ODI ban on him. It is high time he is taught a lesson for his continual misdemeanours on the field and learns to behave like a mature player like the other seniors in the team. But Sreesanth is no less, his punishment is seeming like a slap on the wrist. He too should be punished for his outrageous antics on the field. He seems to have no respect for any player at all..

With the BCCI requesting the ICC to keep the IPL window every year free from other national tours, all the players, national and international, should be free during the IPL time period..and with that i hope Chennai can recreate the magic of their first 5 games :) With the IPL proving to be a bumper success, it is going to be a fixture every die-hard cricket fan will be waiting for every year.

Cheers!