IPL, a glorious summer distraction

IS THE INDIAN Premier League (IPL) a bona fide cricket tournament in its own right? How much prestige is attached to winning the trophy?

- Tushar Bhaduri

These may be considered silly questions to ask as the league goes through its 18th season, having long become a fixture in the Indian summer. The tournament's valuation, done from time to time by major multinational accounting firms, ranks it among the biggest sporting properties in the world. But in pure sporting terms, how much does it really matter? November 19, 2023, has forever been seared into the collective consciousness of Indian cricket fans. The heartbreak suffered by the heavily favoured hosts in front of more than a lakh home fans expecting nothing less than a coronation after the team's waltz through the World Cup unbeaten, will hurt for a long time. In the same vein, June 25, 1983, and April 2, 2011, will be remembered for the spontaneous euphoria and sense of pride they generated. In contrast, dates of IPL finals are hardly remembered even by fans of the teams competing.

One may argue that achievements at the international level will always be placed at a pedestal higher than those of a franchise, and playing and winning for the country still carries more resonance in cricket. That may be true, and the factor holding back IPL from being a sporting competition, where winning and losing cannot be brushed away so easily.

But a team's valuation often doesn't reflect its on-field performance. Kolkata Knight Riders had underwhelming results in the initial years of the league, but that didn't adversely affect its financials much. On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans won IPL titles not too long after entering the fray—the latter in its inaugural season itself—but didn't reap the financial windfall.