How The IPL Came To Be
The British may have invented cricket four centuries ago, but today the sport finds perhaps its biggest following on the Indian subcontinent. Seems fair then, that India is also home to one of the hottest properties on the world cricketing stage today — the Indian Premier League (IPL). A decade and half into the tournament’s iconic story, let’s take a step back and see how it came to be.
First, a little history
The Indian Premier League may have started in 2008, but the idea for such a tournament existed way back in 1996.
Hard to believe?
It all started when Lalit Kumar Modi came up with the idea of IPL in 1996. His life outside India had exposed him to international tournaments and European sports leagues. He believed this format applied to cricket could change the face of the game in the country.
Lalit’s firm Modi Entertainment Network would start its business with ESPN, where the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would give ESPN the broadcasting rights to show the matches played. There was one condition though, ESPN would have to provide BCCI with additional royalty.
The tournament was supposed to be held as 50 over matches amongst 8 teams based in the cities of India. The teams were even meant to be sold off as franchises. Genius!
The longest voyage ever
The BCCI didn’t see much merit in this endeavour and decided against backing it, leaving Modi in a bit of a lurch. Having complete trust in his idea, he took the ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ approach, and worked his way up to becoming the Vice-President of the BCCI.
A historic turning point
The biggest boost for the idea of the IPL came in 2007, when the Indian men’s cricket team lifted the inaugural T20 World Cup. Interest for cricket (and the T20 format) was at an all time high. In a bid to capitalise on the buzz, the Zee Group started a private cricket league along the lines of Modi’s original vision, and called it the Indian Cricket League (ICL).
There were some major issues in the fundamentals and working of the ICL. It was a private league started by the Zee group and had no support from the BCCI, and this eventually lead to support for it dropping off
The overall sentiment and the arrival of ventures like ICL, combined with his influential position within the BCCI, finally gave Lalit Modi the ability to greenlight his brainchild, and the Indian Premier League was officially born in 2008.
Drawing inspiration from European league football and the NBA in the USA, teams were based in major Indian cities and players from all over the world were signed at auction. The first-ever player auction was held on January 24, 2008.
A few months later, the first-ever IPL match was played between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on April 18, 2008.
Why is the IPL so successful?
As of writing this post, the 14th season of the IPL is drawing to a close, proving that cricket always has a spot in the hearts of Indians.
A major reason for the dwindling interest in international cricket was that the matches were long drawn, taking a whole day or almost an entire week in the case of test cricket. IPL’s short and explosive format proved ideal for a modern audience strapped for time.
The presence of international players playing alongside popular Indian names also adds huge value. The idea of international players playing for an Indian city has been a major draw in for the fans.
Over time, each franchise has developed its own following, capitalising on support for popular Indian cities, catchy theme songs, clever endorsement strategies and merchandise sales.
Not to mention, the IPL provides a global stage for emerging young talent to make a mark and break out on to the international cricket scene — something the traditional league games in the country had always struggled to provide.
The IPL’s success is a testament to the fact that sport, no matter how old and structured, can always reinvent itself for a new generation.
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