THE HEAT IS ON

While the disappointing performance of MI and CSK in IPL 2022 won’t discredit the popularity of the two teams, the rocking show by the debutant franchises will certainly open big opportunities for players, especially as ICC T20 WC selection is around the corner

- S KANNAN

If it’s summer, can the Indian Premier League (IPL) be far behind? The heat wave in India is raging, from north to south and east to west. One would expect, the IPL, too, would generate the same kind of energy on the field.

It has, for sure. Just that the way results have panned out in the last few weeks have come as a big surprise for two of the biggest teams in the history of the IPL — Chennai Super Kings and hyped-up Mumbai Indians.

The 2022 IPL has 10 teams, and for two teams who have been champions in the past quite regularly, the results this time have been disappointing. One thing can be said with certainty, loyalties in the IPL are very strong, despite the fabric of the team composition changing. Moreover, this season, the two new franchise teams from Lucknow and Gujarat have shown that being new in the competition does not mean they are minnows in terms of performance.

To be sure, the IPL is cricket plus commerce. For the millions of fans at home and abroad, the cricket on view is spectacular. There are huge sixes being hit and lusty fours being smashed. Bowlers have learned to innovate and the fielding/catching standards have risen phenomenally.

After two years of IPL in the United Arab Emirates, for the matches to be held at venues in Mumbai and Pune has been captivating. If reports are true, the ticket price for IPL today exceeds that of the FIFA World Cup which will be held in Doha later this year. Sounds bizarre, doesn’t it?