- Cricket connoisseurs are quite aware of the difference between the three formats of the game, wherein the classical form is considered the ultimate and the shorter and shortest forms come next in line. Yes, five days of Test cricket are still the most preferred format for the cricketers whose aspirations to represent the country in this format are unquestionable. However, the real money spinners are the shorter and shortest formats, whose success, popularity, and reach have breached stratospheric levels. The amount of revenue generated from the T20 brand of cricket is not only historic but also reflects its increasing popularity among the younger generation. No wonder more cricket boards are coming out with their own T20 leagues in a jiffy.
PC: Pankaj Mishra
- As you are aware, the Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 cricket is not only the biggest cricketing sporting event in the world but also competes with the top five events across the sporting disciplines, simply because the revenue generation in the form of sponsors, broadcasting rights, and digital rights is phenomenal. Did someone mention that Indian cricket enjoys demographic dividends? Indeed, our love for the game needs no further emphasis, and the diaspora spread across the world ensures solid crowds whenever Team India performs overseas. It is given that Team India’s performance means the hosting nation will be walking all the way to the bank to encash the riches. Such is the popularity of Indian cricketers that the moolah follows.
- We know the sixteenth edition of the IPL has started with a bang. There are no surprises as the bat appears to dominate the ball, with batsmen going out all guns blazing against the hapless bowlers. With the size of the boundary shrinking by the day, even a mishit from the batsman’s blade easily crosses over the line. Consequently, the par score in a T20 match is not less than 180 runs per inning. And this par score too is not safe, with many teams succeeding in overhauling the target with some deliveries to spare. Make no mistake, a T20 is primarily considered a batsmen’s game, wherein the role of bowlers is to restrict scoring rather than go for wickets. Most importantly, paying patrons are not complaining one bit.
PC: ANI
- Note that the IPL is an international tournament on par with some of the multilateral events played under the aegis of the International Cricket Council. Many internationally recognized cricket superstars wish to participate in the franchise league, where not only is the money plentiful but it also provides an ideal platform to showcase their skills and further their professional careers. Such is the lure of the lucre, a sizeable number of overseas cricketers have opted out of a central contract to make themselves available for the IPL. It’s entertainment all the way. Mind you, no one’s complaining. Neither the playing public nor the sponsors, or, for that matter, the respective boards, who also rake in substantial money from the league, should enjoy the fun until it lasts!
