The Influential Premier League: IPL's perfect 10

The IPL, BCCI's 'domestic' tournament, pushed cricket into the modern era and made India a global leader in the game.

- Amrit Mathur

The IPL, BCCI's 'domestic' tournament, pushed cricket into the modern era and made India a global leader in the game. 18 years since it started, a look at the impact it has had on cricket.

The great disruptor IPL occupies eight weeks of the calendar (April-May) and other national leagues jostle for space the rest of the year. With T20 becoming the preferred format of fans, bilateral cricket has taken a hit and Tests are in terminal decline, struggling for survival.

Controlling cricket econ IPL's stunning commercial success (media rights alone are worth ₹10,000 crore annually) provides India economic muscle, which in turn brings power and control. India sits on cricket's high table and decides where others sit. The remote that controls cricket is in India's hands.

Mindset reset IPL is cricket on steroids, and T20 demands players bring urgency to the crease. With batters constantly in attack mode, totals routinely exceed 200. Daringly innovative shots are used freely by Gen X Rishabh Pant and senior citizen Joe Root.