IPL Day 2: Ambivalence is the word

There’s so much to love about IPL. But it’s just as easy to detest it too. If first day was refreshing with good quality cricket on display, the second day was proof of the extreme shameless commercialization of the game. Cricket has been a game where even after 5 days of hard intense cricket, we may not get a result but in the T-20 the administrators have been very desperate to get a result somehow or the other.

There’s no shame in having a game with no result and more so in a lengthy tournament like IPL. The desperation with which a result was achieved in the Delhi Vs King’s XI match was ripping the soul of the game. If twenty overs for each side are not possible, then the match ought to be either cancelled or rescheduled no matter the commercial ramifications of doing so.

If this was appalling, the fact that they stuck to the “tactical time-out” for ads despite rain shortening the match was obscene. And then I saw the sight, which I feared the most – the boundary ropes were brought in by almost 10 yards!!! It’s worse than reservations.

I don’t know who gives the idea to administrators that more boundaries mean more entertainment for the audience. And can anyone tell the commentators that cricket lexicon hasn’t been officially changed yet. A six still remains a six and not a DLF maximum and WTF is a citi moment of success (BTW Citi bank was struggling to survive not too long ago). I wish I never buy a DLF house or bank with Citibank ever in my life – the very mention of those names get me worked up.

I had recently asked Prof. Aswath Damodaran (Professor – Corporate Finance and Valuation in Stern School of Business, New York University) about his views on IPL. His response sums the problem with IPL:

“I must confess that I stopped following cricket about 25 years ago... I used to be an avid cricket fan and I have followed the IPL only in passing. I think the key with professional sports is to maintain the illusion that it is only a game (and not a business). The fans know that they are being taken along for a ride, but they are willing to go along. I think the problem with the IPL is that it does not even bother to preserve the illusion...”