Just a few weeks ago, none of the Indians would have even dreamt of themselves cheering at Sachin’s dismissal, jeering at the Thunderbolt Yuvi, Bhalle Bhalle Bhajji slapping speedster Sreesanth, and a lot more…. But this had come true. All credits to the Indian Premier League (IPL) for making them come true. The IPL of course became the trendsetter for razing storms in Indian Cricketing History.
Standing at the ground reality, I feel it’s ridiculous on the part of the BCCI not coming up with any leagues so far until it was the ICL, the first launched Cricket League in India. Let’s not talk about whether the ICL was a success or not but it was in one way, instrumental in the BCCI reacting immediately and coming up with the IPL. The BCCI named them REBELS and then started the real tug of war to come up with a league. Then came a man, LALIT MODI, to show what the BCCI can do. KUDOS to Lalit Modi and his team for making this IPL happen and letting us Indians also claim that we too have leagues for our own adorable sport which serve as a means of both promoting the game as well as entertainment.
It first started with franchisees, bidding, and so on and so forth. In spite of many hurdles in the initial stage, everything was managed well and the stage set for the show. It started off boisterously with Brendon Mc Cullum’s thumping knock, followed by Mike Hussey’s decent flick, both ending up in scoring tons. Then suddenly with the senior Aussies heading back to their homeland made a lot of difference to the show. Initially, Rajasthan Royals were the underdogs and Deccan Chargers, the hot favorites. But suddenly, everything went against them. The IPL created enough storm to turn things topsy-turvy. In the end, as we saw, Emerging Media’s ROYALS emerged victorious and the Deccan chargers, not even able to make their mark, forget about winning.
Throughout the tournament, there were many good head-on-head encounters between almost all the teams. Almost every match held up the nerves of the spectators and proved to be worth watching. But finally, it was the Rajasthan Royals, who stole the show with their all round performance, and standing up to the mark in all forms of the game. The youngsters under the able and expert guidance from their Coach and captain, Shane Warne, laid paths for victory to claim that the future is theirs. Even the Mr. Cool Dhoni could not withstand the Youthful Spirited Royals and surrendered to them in the finals.
The IPL had provided all the entertainment to all the spectators as promised. It gave the Cricketing world with many knocks. When the veterans like Pollock, Warne, and Pidge showed they still are not a take-it-easy, the firing youth like Asnodkar, Badrinath, Raina, Yusuf, Saha, Goswami, Gony, n few more have shown what the fire in the youth can engulf, if ignited. The biggest turn-around was for Sanath Jayasurya. Even when he lost the eye of the selectors, his performances in the IPL made them gaze at him with awe. It also gave the world more matured all rounders like Albie Morkel, Shane Watson, and newbies like Shaun Marsh.
Despite the success stories of the IPL, we should also accept the sour facts that happened. Liquor King Vijay Mallya, known for his Midas touch, ended up being an example for those who say sport is not just like any other business. The saddest plight will be of Laxman. Though recognized all over the world for his elegant style and in spite of performing really well in the IPL, he ended up on the other side, being a decent cricketer by first giving up his icon status, and then the captaincy.
The real bitter controversies that left a mark on IPL are that of Bhajji slapping Sreesanth, King Khan – Dada misunderstandings, and finally the CHEErleaders. But Bhajji’s incident stood out amongst all of them to leave a dark day in the wonderful pages of the IPL. Incidents like the Delhi crowds pelting stones at their favorite star Viru, and the Mumbai crowds jeering at Yuvi, stand alone as testimonies showcasing the fanaticism of Indians when it comes to cricket.
Putting aside these small incidents, as a whole the IPL was a really great success. Lalit Modi and his team need to be applauded for their untiring efforts put in, to make this journey memorable. Finally, it is the sponsors and the franchisees that are the foundation stones for this IPL, that deserve a special applause.
And finally, it’s a dream come true for We Indians, that we too have a league. And more to say, this has turned out to be the Costliest league ever in the Sporting History.
