IPL- INDIAN CRICKET

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE - A BOON OR A BANE FOR INDIAN CRICKET

IPL or The Indian Premier League, Lalit Modi's brainchild termed as the Million Dollar Baby, got off to a blazing start in the year 2008, with the Indian public embracing this new concept of teams having a combination of players from the domestic circuit, Indian team and International players rubbing shoulders with each other, exchanging ideas and ultimately treat everyone to a whole new level of cricket.

Lalit Modi - The Man Behind The Revolution

The main idea behind staging a tournament like this, was to give exposure to local Indian players, who don't get the desired recognition from playing State-level cricket, where in by playing with top notch cricketers, interacting with the legends of the game would not only allow them to fine tune their skills but also help them get exposure at the big stage and finally through their performances, attract the attention of selectors, thereby taking the first step towards realizing their dreams of playing for India. 

This cash-rich tournament over the years have produced some quality young cricketers, who through their stellar performances have made people take notice, stand up and applaud. The inaugural year, 2008 itself saw likes of Sanju Samson and Yusuf Pathan, playing for Rajasthan Royals under the spin legend Shane Warne, consistently treat us with breathtaking knocks to win matches from hopeless situations. The impact of Yusuf Pathan's performance was such, that not only it helped Royals to win the title but also helped him earn a place in the Indian Team, later in the year. Obviously Yusuf found it tough to hold on to his position in the side, as consistency has always been a matter of great concern for him. Ravindra Jadeja, originating from Saurashtra, is another player on whom IPL had a great impact. He hogged the limelight so much as his all-round skills developed by leaps and bounds, that he earned the nickname "Rockstar" from his captain Shane Warne. In the very next year, with the Indian selectors taking note of his performance, he made his debut for India against Sri Lanka and remained unbeaten at 60 in that match. Since then he has hasn't looked back and now he is an integral part of the current Indian outfit.

Shane Warne and Yusuf Pathan while palying for Rajasthan Royals in IPL

To talk of other teams, Royal Challengers Bangalore saw a new sensation in the form of Manish Pandey who gave us a glimpse of what he can do, when he became the first Indian to score a hundred in the 2nd edition of IPL, an innings filled with sparkling shots. Though it is difficult for him to get into the currently settled Indian outfit but till now, whatever opportunities have come his way, he has made use of them pretty well. If we look at the current Indian team, likes of Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohit Sharma all have made their way into the side through IPL and surely there are many more in the pipeline, waiting for a call-up. IPL has not only helped unearth the hidden talent which our country possesses but also helped other nations discover the true potential of their domestic circuit. 

Likes of Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, David Hussey coming through from The Big Bash in Australia, where they have been prolific scorers, ultimately got recognized by the Australian selectors after their performances in IPL. West Indians Sunil Narine and Keiron Pollard, who represent Trinidad and Tobago could not make any significant mark in the international level before playing in the IPL, so was the case with South African David Miller. So, a tournament which was originally aimed at giving rookie Indians the platform to showcase their skills, has equally benefitted the uncapped players of other international teams. 

THE MAIN TALKING POINT

Now if we look at the skill level of players playing for different countries, it has definitely gone up few notches. Players nowadays have become fearless and play a different brand of cricket altogether, which was not the case 10 years back. Just like you cannot have a rose without thorns, similarly this IPL is slowly becoming a thorn in the flesh for Indian Cricket. Where the commitment levels have gone up for players of other nations, after getting selected in the national team through IPL, certain Indian cricketers have started showing lackadaisical approach while representing India. The amount which the cricketers receive from playing a minimum of 14 matches in IPL each year, for a span of close to two months is so mindboggling that even a hefty pay from The BCCI for representing India looks meagre. 

It's not that players have not performed while playing for India or India, as a team have not won tournaments after the commencement of IPL. In fact, India won the 2010 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka after 15 years. In the very next year, the team was crowned World Champions for the 2nd time after 28 years, when they beat Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium on 2nd April, 2011. 2013 saw India winning the 2nd most important tournament in 50-over cricket, The ICC Champions Trophy, after beating England in their own den. Unfortunately since being crowned the Champion of Champions, India hasn't really won anything of substance in the last 3.5 years, the latest blemish being their inability to defend their Champions Trophy Title. They have tasted success in few bilateral tournaments against Zimbabwe, Australia, West Indies, England but they have struggled to make any impression in ICC Tournaments and also while touring places like Australia, South Africa, New Zealand. A team which boasts of having the best batting line-up, with players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni in their ranks, these facts are hard to accept. 

Somewhere there is a feeling that the focus has shifted from International Cricket to the glamour and extravaganza of IPL, which should never have been the case. First priority for any cricketer should be to perform and bring laurels for the nation. So, what seemed to be a boon for Indian Cricket initially, IPL has surely turned out to be the nemesis for cricket in India. Now it's upto the players to introspect and bring about a change in attitude while playing for the nation, which would automatically bring forth positive results for the side.