IPL Saga – Concept Origin, Politics and Money

3 days to go, and the circus called IPL will start again. Started in 2008, it soon became the most entertained and the most attractive form of cricket. Lalit Modi, now known as the father of IPL, took it to a different level in his 3 year period. But is it true that this whole concept was of Mr. Lalit Modi??????

Some time back, a thought stuck my mind which is the effect football has on cricket. All the new concepts which are introduced in cricket are somehow taken from football.

In football, there are various leagues in different countries. The most famous and the most watched league being the English Premier League (EPL). Every footballer has a dream to play in this league because of the level of football and also the money involved in the game.

Same format was taken by Mr. Lalit Modi for IPL. Players came through a transfer window, contracts were done and they started playing the game of money. From IPL, they shifted on Airtel Champions League, adopted from UEFA Champions League or AFC. Top teams from the respective leagues of different countries coming together in a tournament to prove their supremacy in the game. Mr. Lalit Modi again took the idea from football to make it a success story.

Country League in Football – IPL

UEFA Champions League – Airtel Champions League

Foul in football a Free Kick – Foul in cricket (No Ball) a free hit

Owners of Clubs – Franchise in Cricket

Player transfer market in Football – Auctions in IPL

Extra time in Football – Super over in Cricket

Penalties in Football – Bowl out in Cricket

Who knows in the coming decade, concept of yellow cards and red cards also appear on cricket scene.

The differences which Lalit Modi brought in IPL were Corruption and Politics. I agree that corruption and very little politics is present in football also, but it has not changed the nature of the beautiful game. Cricket, as I see now, is no more a gentlemen game.

Till season 3 IPL was under the leadership of Lalit Modi, however Season 4 is going to be under the leadership of Chirayu Amin. He has already promised a bigger and better IPL and has promised to run it in a transparent manner. Last year there was a lot of allegation of match fixing. BCCI and IPL came under Income Tax raids. There were a lot of allegations on Lalit Modi’s involvement in certain teams. His relatives and some politicians were also involved in the stakes of certain teams.

Let me take you back 15 months.

“Tuesday, 19th of Jan’10, Auction for IPL 3rd season. Shahid Afridi is the first name in Round One with a base price of USD 250,000. And surprise surprise, Afridi is not picked up. Same is the fate of other Pakistani players. T20 World champions 2009, having one of the most talented pool of players, but still not a single player selected by any franchise. World champions humiliated by the politics going on between the 2 nations and the on-going saga on the visas for these players.”

What has cricket to do between all this. If this is the attitude of people who are running cricket in this country, then only money will be made by this process.

Again this year, there is no Pakistani player in the league. What to say and what not to say on this matter. Thank God, BCCI allowed Pakistan to compete in the 2011 cricket World Cup.

Lalit Modi certainly degraded the sport for sure. It is no more cricket. IPL 4 sees the arrival of 2 more teams and now 10 teams will be participating with 74 matches in this edition.

I hope IPL lives up to its expectation of an entertainer and all the sagas are kept away from it.