- Cricket enthusiasts worldwide would be anticipating with bated breath when the sixteenth edition of the hugely popular Indian Premier League T20 tournament kicks off. Remember, the IPL has been a game changer vis-à-vis not only unearthing talented cricketers from across the cricket-playing world, including India but also generating unimaginable revenue for the BCCI. The amount of revenue generated from broadcasting and digital media rights is mind-boggling. No wonder Indian parents are gung-ho about the opportunities galore available for their talented wards to strike it rich in the IPL. As the saying goes, there are enough talented cricketers available who, given an opportunity, will do justice without any doubts whatsoever.
PC: AFP News
- Now that the stage is all set for the start of the latest edition, all eyes will be on the mouth-watering menu expected to be dished out by the stalwart cricketers, both local as well as international players. Since its inception, the IPL has grown bigger and bigger, with each edition bringing something different from the earlier ones. With the addition of two new teams during the last edition, the league has acquired an even bigger dimension, catering to the unsatiated needs of the cricket-crazy spectators. Of course, the spectators are not complaining either. As you may recall, the new entrants, the Gujarat Titans, won the last edition on the back of astute leadership and the performances of their captain, Hardik Pandya. That’s the beauty of the IPL.
- Some of the biggest teams, like the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, had below-par performances last time around too. Mind you, other contenders like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad could not live up to the expectations. Cricket enthusiasts know how the shortest format of the game is heavily tilted in favor of the batsmen. But credit should be accorded to the bowlers for reinventing their skill sets to come out with effective counters by honing new tricks. If the pace bowlers rely on yorkers, slower deliveries, slow bouncers, and subtle changes of pace, the spinners too are not far away from coming out with new weapons to tame the marauding batsmen.
PC: Virat Verma
- Yes, there are stars galore who could set the stage on fire. Indian superstars like MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Bhuveneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, and others are capable of changing the complexion of the game in a jiffy. Not to forget superstar foreign players like David Warner, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green, Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, and many more impact players who are equally adept at coming to the party big-time with towering performances. As such, fasten your seat belts and prepare to savor the relentless dishing out of spectacular performances over the next one and a half months. As cliche as it might sound, may the best team win the league.
