The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to begin from March 26, with two new teams added to the roster. However, with a T20 World Cup looming around and the plethora of cricket already being played, it appears that cricket fatigue has set in. And unless IPL pulls a mickey out of the hat, the viewer’s interest will continue to dip – even though the race for IPL media rights may suggest otherwise.
Last year was no different as the thirst for IPL was at an all-time low. It didn’t help the matters that the tournament was bisected into two parts and held at different locales. While the Indian leg was devoid of any crowd which significantly reduced the traction; the placid, benign, and artificial atmosphere of UAE was the final straw for snuffing out any interest.
No consistency with the teams
One of the main reasons for IPL’s flaccidity in recent times is the constantly changing teams. Since the inception of the tournament, three teams have become defunct and two have served two-year-long suspensions.
Of the remaining sides, only Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab, and Delhi Capitals have managed to survive all fourteen seasons unscathed. However, Delhi Capitals, formerly known as Delhi Daredevils, has already undergone a complete re-branding and has little to no connection to its former self.
Where is the local identity?
Similarly, the local and regional identity of the audience is not reflected clearly in the teams. Example: The name Royal Challengers Bangalore has nothing to do with Bangalore. Apart from the ‘Ee Saala Cup Namde’ chant, there is little connection of the franchise to the folks of Bangalore. The Royal Challenge in the name represents a whisky manufactured by United Spirits Ltd., the ex-chairman of which was Vijay Mallya.
Similarly, Sunrisers Hyderabad, represents the Sun Group while Rising Lucknow Supergiants represents its owner Sanjiv Goenka and his company — New Rising.
Yes, the online chatter may suggest that there is an inter-state rivalry, but it is just an online echo-chamber at the end of the day. The ground reality is different. The fan base of Mohun Bagan FC can still crush the fan base of any IPL franchise, to this day.
IPL is not involving international fans
Moreover, IPL can truly call itself a global league when international fans are involved. However, BCCI, akin to its stance on involving associate nations in international cricket has done little to nothing to get cricketers from across the board to play the big league.
Moreover, the international audience cannot pledge their loyalty to a single franchise due to the aforementioned issue of watching completely new faces donning the franchise jersey every couple of years. The audience demands uniformity and consistency which has been missing from the supposedly biggest cricketing league in the world.
If we compare IPL to say, English Premier League, there are loyal fan bases because there is little chopping and changing of teams. The players tend to remain at a team for long periods and build their value.
However, the auction model of buying players means that franchisees have to overhaul their core, every few years. Earlier this year, the mega auction took place and the teams have been injected with new faces that will take time for the audience to get warmed up to.
The greed to over-commercialize the sport
Australia’s Big Bash League, at one point was dubbed as the anti-dote of IPL. However, the league shot itself in the foot by chasing greed. BBL increased the number of matches in a season which significantly reduced the viewer’s interest. As a result, in the last couple of seasons, there have been demands to alter the format of the T20 league and make it snappier and quicker.
Meanwhile, IPL, riding the cash train has increased the number of matches from 60 to 74. In a packed cricket calendar as this year’s — an increase of 14 matches could potentially have negative long-term repercussions.
There have been rumours swirling around suggesting that the strategic time breaks in this year’s IPL can be increased from the usual 150 seconds to 180 seconds to generate more ad revenue. Already, the games in IPL stretch beyond the four-hour mark, instead of the stipulated three-hour. Adding these three-minute breaks, twice in an inning will completely dampen the flow.
The quality of cricket has also deteriorated with cricket fans across social media chatrooms suggesting that T20 leagues like PSL have a better bowling armament at display than IPL.
Impact of IPL on team’s performance
When BCCI decided to monetise the T20 format in 2008, they had no idea that their efforts to commercialise the game would negatively impact the national pride attached to cricket. Now, 15 years later, players are prioritising the cash-driven IPL while representing India has taken the back seat.
Injury-prone players like Hardik Pandya would rather suffer through the injuries and make them worse than play for the Indian side in the World Cup. South Africa will be fielding a weak side against visitors Bangladesh in the Test series as its stars preferred to play in IPL, instead of honouring national commitments.
Read More: Let’s face it. IPL is the top priority. Representing India at the World Cup is not
IPL has been showboating throughout its history. Now is the time to step up and focus on the core skill of the job and that is cricket. Make it audience-driven instead of being cash-driven. In the long haul, it’s the audience that will carry the league, not the sponsors.
IPL is NOT worth watching.