The Indian Premier League in 2008 started as an experiment. But you wouldn’t guess if you saw that now. Despite being dismissed as all hype and having its fair share of detractors, it has stood the test of time and even spawned many leagues in a similar format as the IPL across the cricketing world. 

But none of these mushrooming leagues have been able to rival the IPL in terms of popularity, player participation, and the number of sponsors jostling for a piece of the IPL pie.  

Like every mega event, the IPL has had its share of controversies, the biggest one being the match-fixing scandal which led to the suspension of the two top franchises of Chennai Super Kings and first edition winner, Rajasthan Royals, for two years.

While purists may turn their noses up at the entire IPL circus, there is no denying its staying power. The icing on the cake is the significant valuation of the IPL, which touched a staggering $10.9 billion in 2022, as reported by The Economic Times. This substantial appraisal has thus proved the naysayers wrong.  

The IPL’s rise has even boosted the popularity of fantasy games, such as those that involve trading NFT-based digital playing cards, much to the delight of the game’s fans. One of these innovations is in the form of the 5-player fantasy app. 

With the IPL having completed fifteen glorious seasons and the 16th currently underway, it’s time to reflect on the positive changes it has brought about and how it has changed cricket for the better. 

• Uncovers New Talent:

The IPL has been a happy hunting ground for talent scouts to pick from among the best India has to offer in terms of emerging talent. The headhunters spread out across all IPL venues as they wish to leave no stone unturned in their search. In fact, the process begins at the auction stage itself as they scrutinize the performances of the players while they pitch themselves to the franchise owners.  

As the team’s composition, including the 12th man, is limited to only four foreigners, this gives upcoming Indian players exposure as to what playing on the big stage would be like. There is no bigger training ground for India’s domestic cricketers than the IPL. For if they get by without succumbing to tense situations in the pressure cooker environment of the IPL, they can perform anywhere. 

Thanks to the inclusion of high-caliber foreign players, the local talent has benefitted by coming into contact and picking up tips on honing their playing technique from the best in the business. The youngsters also get to go up against these modern-day greats and test their mettle in the process.

• Unprecedented Riches:

It’s raining more than exquisite stroke play and high-scoring matches in the IPL. This T20-based league has also ushered in an era of unprecedented riches. Testimony to its success is that 80% of its global revenue comes from broadcasting rights. Thanks to the T20’s short, TV-friendly format, financial success was all but assured – and it was a given, as nowhere in the world does cricket experience the kind of patronage it does in India. 

The 2022 IPL edition generated a revenue of INR 8 Billion for the BCCI, an amount unheard of in first-class cricket. The biggest benefactors of this windfall are the players themselves. Though the most prominent players command handsome pay packets, it’s cricketers lower down the ladder who have benefitted the most. 

Overnight the quality of life for the average first-class cricketer has seen significant improvement courtesy of the market forces involved.

• Helps Develop Cricket At The Grassroots:

Another positive outcome of the IPL’s financial success is that the money generated from this lucrative T20 competition does not flow into the coffers of mega-rich franchise owners. Instead, it flows into the kitty of the national cricket board to help develop the game at the grassroots level. As much as 40% of the BCCIs revenue comes from the IPL.  

Other franchises would do well to emulate the Rajasthan Royals in this regard, as they have set up the Rajasthan Royals Academy and the Royal Colts initiative for unearthing fresh talent  and giving them an opportunity to make their mark in cricket.  

• Improved Fortunes Of The National Side:

Alongside bearing the responsibility of forging a multibillion-dollar brand and swelling the ranks of cricketers with international exposure, IPL has helped Team India boost its fortunes in the game’s traditional formats. An analysis of the national side’s performance for a dozen years on either side of the IPL has proved that the marquee tournament has brought about a  difference in its fortunes for the better. 

Prior to the IPL, India’s success rate in ODIs and Test matches stood at 48% and 32%, respectively. Post the start of IPL, the percentage of wins stands at 62% and 51% for ODIs and Test cricket, and that’s a considerable jump in the success ratio. The thanks for which is owed to the many talented cricketers who made it to the senior side on the backs of their IPL success. 

In a quote attributed to Harsha Bhogle, he says, “T20 is the grandchild of Test cricket, keeping the patriarch alive by bringing more people into the game.”

Under the stewardship of the BCCI, the Indian Premier League has changed shape from an unorthodox idea to India’s biggest sporting spectacle. Despite the success with which it has met, there remains plenty of room to grow, and the only limits are what it sets for itself.