Exegesis & Critical Analysis of IPL

Indian Premiere League (IPL) is unarguably recognized as one of the Finest and Richest League on the Planet. IPL got started way back in 2008. The Chief Architect of starting this Tournament was the Former IPL Chairman and Commissioner till 2010 Lalit Modi. IPL has removed the barrier between Foreign Players as India’s juvenile and tyro lads are getting invaluable guidance and help from Overseas Greats. In IPL the maximum limit of Squad is 25 Players in which maximum of 17 Indian Players should be present and a Maximum of 8 Overseas Players are allowed per team. 64 Foreign Players play in every season of IPL as there are 8 Teams. The Coaches of IPL Franchise Teams are mostly Foreign Greats only which gives tremendous exposure to Indian Players as History is Evident for India that whenever India had a Foreign Coach they clinched ICC Tournaments; in the form of Legendary Coach Gary Kirsten India won 2011 WC after a drought period/span of 28 years; also in 2013 Duncan Fletcher added Champions Trophy to India’s Hall of Fame and made one of India’s Greatest Captain MS Dhoni the only Skipper in the World to win T20 WC in 2007, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013

• Introduction

IPL is such a mega tournament that it is regarded one of the toughest Tournament after the ICC Tournament as in IPL all foreign players play in a single team i.e. Aussies, Kiwis, Caribbean’s, Proteas, Britishers, Asian players except Pakistani Players as BCCI and IPL have prohibited their participation as in 26/11 in 2008 there was a  heart wrecking attack done by Pakistan Born Terrorists due to which Pakistani Players tasted only 1 season of IPL in 2008 which was the inaugural edition of IPL. IPL has got Umpires and Match Referees who are immensely experienced and the same is with Commentators and this makes IPL the Best Franchise League in the Planet as the level of the game and its quality is supreme. What makes IPL famous and a lightning tournament is that all the players of different countries participate in it as there is no ICC Scheduled Bilateral Matches in April and in May except in the end of May where ECB (England Cricket Board) organizes bilateral series with Countries like New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka etc. Michael Vaughan Former England Captain who won Ashes in England in 2005 after a gap of 19 years and is regarded as one of the Shrewd Captain the British ever had. He in 2015 stressed that ECB should allow players to participate in IPL as according to him IPL is a stepping stone towards International Cricket and ICC Tournaments and this statement came as England had a debacle in 2015 WC as they got eliminated in the first stage of the tournament and that too they got thrashing by the under dogs Bangladesh; the turn around for England came in next World Cup as they got Crowned World Cup Champions in 2019 WC and ended  their drought period of 44 years as the inventor of Cricket finally won World Cup at the Lord’s in a controversial one by boundary count according to ICC rules and regulations where Mighty Black Caps won Hearts of the entire Cricketing World for their spirit and culture. IPL has made the game of Gentleman’s more exciting as due to IPL the brotherhood of players has reached at another level but at the same time the overseas players get a clear cut idea in order to how to fox the batsman and bowler of Indian origin and the same is for Indian players where they get to know the flaws of opponent player. The presence of great Former players like Adam Gilchrist of Australia, Trevor Bayliss of Australia, Gary Kirsten of South Africa, Mike Hesson of New Zealand and many more as the Coaching Staff has molded the entire Generation of Cricket as the experience which these Coaches have they have made players of platinum standard the likes of Virat Kohli, Sunil Narine, Rashid Khan, Quinton De Kock, Ben Stokes and many more

• Research

IPL has become such a humongous and gigantic medium that it is no longer Indian Premiere League as it has become International Premiere League. The reason behind it is that every Cricketer on this Planet dreams to Play in IPL as IPL pays Cricketers in Crores Rupees/ Millions only for a span of 40 odd days. The experience which Overseas players get is priceless as playing in India’s Spicy Pitches and Turning Tracks is a boon for every Overseas Players as now they have got accustomed playing against India’s bowlers, batsman and all-rounders. There are “n” Foreign Players who have made their Career on International Stage and we can also say put their Career on Right Path by performing Consistently in IPL Seasons and some notable Cricketers are:

•  Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka who used to bat at No.7 Position got promotion as he became Sri Lanka’s Successful Opening Batsman from 2009-2016 in all the 3 formats. He also became famous for his Dil Scoop Shot where Spectators used to replicate his batting style in 2011 WC and he was also one of the reasons behind their Triumph in 2014 T20I WC.

Tillakaratne Dilshan playing the Dil Scoop Shot

• Shane Watson of Australia became Australia’s one of the Best All rounders as his Scintillating Performances in IPL made him a Star as in 2009 ICC Champions Trophy he was adjudged as Man of the Tournament which was a sign that Watson is going to be ruthless and Cricket Experts witnessed in 2012 ICC T20 WC where he was named Man of Tournament where he dismantled Bowlers and Smashed them out of the Park and he was a Partnership Breaker Bowler for Captain where he was Instrumental in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 as Australia Clinched the World Cup for a Record 5^th Time and gave the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke a Fairytale Farewell.

Shane Watson with the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy 2015

• Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka became the Sensation of Yorkers as he destroyed even the likes of MS Dhoni, AB de Villers and many batsmen with his Wrecking Yorkers. For his success in taking wickets he gave the credit to one of the crafty batsmen Mahela Jayawardene. His deadliest action also came under scanner but he never gave up on Cricket. His Performance in ICC T20 WC 2014 gave a befitting farewell Sri Lanka’s All Time Greats in T20I format: Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.

Lasith Malinga cherishing the moment of winning with ICC T20I WC 2014

• Ben Stokes of England helped England to finally Win ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019 as England won the World Cup only because of him as his match winning knock of 84 runs in the Final of WC. He was the franchise of Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in 2016 and 2017 and then with Rajasthan Royals (RR) for 2018,2019 and 2020. He gave the credit to IPL in 2017 for his match winning knock against the Cunning Aussies in ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. IPL helped England to turn a new leaf in their Cricket as now England looks to be the most promising and dangerous team in all the 3 formats.

Ben Stokes getting a Surreal Feeling when England Won ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

IPL undoubtedly has transformed Indian Cricket broadly and there are many players who have turned the tide for themselves as out of 11 players in a team of an IPL Team there are 7 players of India. There are many players who have changed their fortune and sparkled on International Stage which are:

• Ravindra Jadeja of Rajasthan Royals (RR) Franchise and now of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has made name in International Stage as one of the Best Acrobatic Fielder and made place for himself in Indian Team mostly through his fielding skills and not to forget his bowling which won India the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 where no one gave India a chance to lift the trophy but Jadeja proved to be the vital cog in India’s triumph

Ravindra Jadeja got the Golden Ball for being the Leading Wicket Taker in India’s Triumph in ICC Champions Trophy 2013

• Rohit Sharma of Deccan Chargers (DC) and currently now of Mumbai Indians (MI) Franchise just demolished the bowlers when he was promoted as the opening batsman from 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He is the only batsman who has smashed three 200+ scores in ODI that too against a Puissant Australian Bowling Attack and two double centuries against Sri Lanka and he holds the highest score in ODI format of 264 Runs in the year of 2014.  In ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 he became the first batsman to score 6 Centuries in World Cup and he was the Leading Run Scorer with 648 Runs but unfortunately all his efforts and centuries went in Vain as India failed to Win ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

On the Right-Side Rohit Sharma who played a vital role in playing out the new ball in India’s Triumph of ICC Champions Trophy 2013

• Jasprit Bumrah of Mumbai Indians (MI) Franchise has now earned the tag of Yorker Machine and he gives the Credit to the Lasith Malinga as both the players are of  MI Franchise where Malinga transformed Bumrah and made him a sensation in all the 3 formats. In 2018-19 where India toured Down Under (Australia) for 4 Test Matches for Border Gavaskar Trophy Bumrah rattled the Aussies as he took a whopping 21 Wickets and he was one of the reason India finally won a Series in Australia for the first time in 70 years; but at the same time India tasted this success in the absence of the Duo Smith-Warner who were banned for their involvement in the infamous ball tampering Saga in Newlands South Africa in March 2018 where both were banned for a year.

Jasprit Bumrah joyful after Retaining the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2018-19 and also for winning a Test Series Against Australia in Australia for the First Time in 70 years

In IPL the players who play make a lot of money by playing match/es and at the same time the spectators who watch the game are also earning by playing fantasy-based games and their Brand Ambassadors. The fantasy- based games which are in ascendancy is only because of their Loved and Inspiring Legends which are as follows:

• Dream 11: Legendary Skipper, Wicket Keeper Batsman MS Dhoni
• My 11 Circle: Sourav Ganguly and One of the Best All Rounders of all time Shane Watson
• My Team 11: One of the Best Destructive Batsman Virender Sehwag
• Ballebaazi: One of the Best all-rounder of India Yuvraj Singh
• HalaPlay: Pandya Brothers; Hardik and Krunal Pandya
• Skill2Fortune: Emerging Shreyas Iyer
• MPL: Example of Breaking Records Virat Kohli

 In the above fantasy games the spectators/audience need to create their own team out of 22 players and pay an amount of minimum 50 Rs and sometimes more also and they can also pay according to their paying condition i.e. playing starts from 10 Rs also and then on the basis of how a player performs they get points and the spectator who scores maximum points earns cash of 1 lakh and more and the people who score less are rewarded with money around 1000 Rs and less. Due to these apps for a tournament like IPL, BBL (Big Bash League of Australia), CPL (Caribbean Premiere League of West Indies), BPL (Bangladesh Premiere League of Bangladesh), PSL (Pakistan Super League of Pakistan), MSL (Mzansi Super League of South Africa) and many more Franchise Based Cricket Leagues Crore Rupees has been set as the reward for the one who scores the highest points in the entire tournament.

There are 2 Global Websites who are doing Betting since last 2 decades who are bet365 and Betway. These two are in hegemony as these 2 Apps place bets on the match till the last ball of the match and they predict each and every thing of the match i.e. toss, how many runs would be scored of this over and ball, etc. The minimum amount through which we can place our bet is Rs 10. These two are the Daddy Apps of Betting which are of Foreign Soil

In India there is one app called which is similar to bet365 and Betway which is NostraGamus Pro. This app is completely of skill as we have to make 12 picks of a match that who will score more runs, how many wickets would be lost in the entire match, who will win the match etc. A person can play this game by having 6 Rs in his/her wallet and can earn up to 20,000 Rs in a span of 2 hours and a maximum to 8 hours only by using Knowledge and Skill which should be Impeccable and Immaculate as Earning Money is not that easy because earning a 5 digit money takes arduous work of mind

Through this Betting apps a Person can fulfill his/her desires and get unimaginable confidence in the daily life as the pleasure and satisfaction which money gives is invaluable. There is one person whose entire life changed as he was constantly playing these apps who earned around a 5 digit through his talent and skill whose name is Varad. During a conversation he told that these apps made the Cricket for him more exciting and enthralling as now he is not only earning money but he is enjoying cricket a lot than previous days. When asked about what has he done of the money he said he paid his fees and that year he topped that year and he told that the feeling which he got by writing the paper on his own money was mesmerizing and when he got to hear and know that he topped the exam he was in shock of happiness. When asked that does he still plays and does betting he said that he is on a Mission on earning money as this source of earning money is far more better as he said that in a match of 2 hours (A session is of 2 hours) he earns a lot of money due to which his daily life and house works on it. His story is a great example where betting apps can change the life and mold the future of a Man where he can live a Happy Life.

In India where betting is illegal according to the Indian Constitution but now Cricket’s Legends are doing promotion and where the ICC (International Cricket Council) has made Dream 11 as the Official Sponsor for the ICC Tournaments. Indian Constitution does not have any objection regarding the Online Betting Apps which almost every individual is taking this as a boon as now we can see every fan of Cricket playing games on this app and earning a lot of money.

Betting is such an offensive word in the Dictionary of India that it is regarded as a Gambling. There was such a shocking instance at International Level where the name of Cricket hit a new low which is as follows:

In 2010 Pakistan’s former captain Salman Butt took the money and he told the fast bowlers Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamir to deliberately bowl the no balls and this incident of spot fixing was caught red handed by ICC’s Anti-Corruption Bureau and it was telecasted on Sky Sports of England and after all the incident was shown on Television Salman Butt, Mohammed Aamir and Mohammed Asif all the three players were sent to jail for a  span of 5 years for breaching the code of conduct and corrupting the game and this punishment seemed to be befitting for the trio and a lesson for the future cricketers to never ever do spot fixing. Salman Butt damaged the name of Cricket for earning money through fraudulent way and in doing so he not only ended his career with Mohammed Asif but put a stain on the novice Mohammed Aamir who was only 17-year-old. Later after their Suspension Aamir got a straight entry in the Pakistan National Team but Salman and Asif were and are still blatantly ignored by the selectors.

• History

• IPL’s first inaugural edition in 2008 got started in an incredible way as Brendon McCullum of New Zealand and of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) set the stage on fire where he blasted a knock of 158 runs in the first match of IPL against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and that just took the World by Storm and augured that something big is going to happen in World Cricket as an Aussie, Kiwi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Indian, Caribbean and South African were playing in the same team and this happened for the first time in the history of T20 Cricket as the rivals became best buddies of each other.

McCullum of KKR thrashed RCB

Earlier in 2005 there used to be World XI vs Australia and Asia XI vs South Africa Matches but these were of 50 Over Games and these matches were taking place very rarely as the ICC FTP (Future Tour Programs) used to schedule these matches in a gap of 2 years. ECB didn’t give permission to their players to participate in IPL as they wanted their players to focus on domestic cricket which they call as County Cricket. The first edition of IPL saw the Legends of Cricket the likes of Ricky Ponting, Sanath Jayasuriya, Hussey Brothers, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Shivnarine Chanderapaul and many more groom the next generation.

The big thing which the spectators and Cricket Experts witnessed was that the game of T20 Cricket is no longer played on the paper as the high voltage and dangerous team of Deccan Chargers (DC) had a wooden spoon in the inaugural edition but that not raised that much eye brows because Rajasthan Royals who had an inexperienced side and were given the tag of underdogs clinched the title and sidelined the likes of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) who had that firepower and balance to win IPL Tournament.  Rajasthan Royals had the legendary leg spinner Shane Warne as the Captain and he was the only Overseas Skipper as all the remaining 7 Franchises had Indian Skippers the likes of Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Sehwag. In IPL there was a match every night at 8:00 PM and on Saturdays and Sundays there used to be double headers at 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. The game of T20 Cricket demanded quick runs, cunning variations and acrobatic fielding style which Yusuf Pathan, Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma etc. players had and the Senior Players not failed but were not that dynamic in the game and it made a statement that T20 Cricket requires young blood but the presence of Legendary Players is priceless as the guidance which they give and knowledge which they possess can transform any player.

Rajasthan Royals won IPL in 2008

• The 2^nd edition of IPL took place in South Africa as in 2009 India had Elections and as the problem of security took place. From the 2^nd Edition Pakistani Players were not allowed to participate in IPL due to the attacks of 26/11. South Africa had bouncy and fast pitches. It was the same South Africa where the inaugural 2007 T20I WC was organized where bowlers enjoyed the pace and bounce and also the batsmen were merciless and who would forget Yuvraj Singh’s 6 sixes against Stuart Broad where Yuvraj dismantled not only England but the Cruel Aussies in Semis. IPL of 2009 made a strong statement in which Deccan Chargers (DC) under the leadership of the Legendary Wicket Keeper and Opening Batsman of Australia Adam Gilchrist won the second edition of IPL who in 2008 had a wooden spoon which raised a lot about their team culture and character but Darren Lehmann the Coach of DC and Adam Gilchrist wanted to make a statement about themselves. The crowd in 2009 IPL was not that much but the Proteas fans were very much happy as AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Graeme Smith, Jacque Kallis were playing another day which made the stands of South Africa go full. IPL got a new home in the form of South Africa and there were talks going on that BCCI and IPL should try new Country every year as the Support which IPL got in South Africa. This IPL was very crucial as after IPL the ICC T20I WC 2009 was right there and surprisingly Pakistan won the title in England where no one gave them a chance.

Deccan Chargers Won IPL in 2009

•  The 3^rd Edition of IPL was back in India and this time IPL was organized in the middle of March as the 3^rd ICC T20I WC 2010 was in the month of May. IPL this time was a dress rehearsal for the T20I WC in Caribbean. Mumbai Indians under the leadership of Sachin Tendulkar in this IPL were looking set to grab the title as they were unstoppable and unbeatable but Chennai Super Kings of MS Dhoni played mind games and used witty techniques and strategies to outfox the batsmen and bowler as CSK won IPL for the first time in 2010. The final of 2010 IPL saw bizarre decisions taken by the staff of MI where they kept the behemoth Kieron Pollard in the sheds and brought him when the required run rate was more than 13 runs per over and he had only 3 overs left to win the IPL of 2010 for MI. MS Dhoni used his captaincy to get rid of Pollard and this victory signaled  that CSK can win from any position. Once again in T20I WC 2010 India failed to win the Tournament but again there was a new winner which the Cricketing World Witnessed which was the Mighty Britishers who added maiden ICC Tournament in their Hall of Fame.

Chennai Super Kings won IPL in 2010

• The 4^th Edition of IPL was absolutely lightning as in 2011 India won the 50 Over WC after a drought period of 28 years and the atmosphere for the 2011 IPL was mesmerizing. 2011 IPL saw 2 more franchise teams in the form of Pune Warriors India (PWI) and Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK) 2011 IPL saw the destruction of Chris Gayle who whacked the bowlers all round the park where he amassed 608 runs. IPL once again witnessed humongous totals and where Lasith Malinga was assasining the batsmen with his thunderstorm deliveries. Just when it looked like IPL would see another Champion in the form of RCB but once again the wittiness of MS Dhoni sealed the 2010 IPL and became the first team to Retain the IPL Trophy. In the 4 Editions of IPL it was clearly evident that India’s bench strength is getting sturdy and at the same time the overseas players are also getting developed.

Chennai Super Kings Won IPL in 2011

• The 5^th Edition of IPL once again was critical as this time the ICC T20I WC 2012 was organized in Sri Lanka where the conditions of India and Sri Lanka are almost same. Kochi Tuskers Kerala were boycotted from IPL as they failed to give a guarantee to the BCCI regarding the payment due to which the IPL of 2012 was of 9 times. IPL of 2012 saw a major change in the fortune of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as they finally tasted success in IPL as they were crowned Champions of IPL 2012 and this turn around took place as they gave the reins to the fighting Gautam Gambhir from 2011. IPL of 2012 gave a hope to the other franchises that they can also life IPL trophy as CSK was so dominating that they gave no chances to the opposition. Chris Gayle once again showed to the world that there is no one better than him as he smashed 733 runs. As IPL was progressing the importance of veteran foreign and sub continental players was declining in the playing XI. Every day a new star was born in this IPL and it sounded that this is just the beginning. The T20I WC of 2012 once again for India proved to be forgettable were they were knocked out in the group stage and Cricketing World got a New T20I Champion in the form of the West Indies who were ruthless throughout the tournament.

Kolkata Knight Riders Won IPL in 2012

• The 6^th edition of IPL gave goosebumps to the entire India as Delhi Police caught Rajasthan Royals (RR) : Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila in an offence of doing spot fixing and this didn’t stop as one match of RR vs CSK there were allegations raised on MS Dhoni and an Actor Vindu Dara Singh was also arrested for doing betting who was in the stands with the wife of Dhoni Sakshi Dhoni. Raj Kundra co-owner of RR was also allegedly involved in the betting. Some bookies also mentioned that MS Dhoni fixed the match against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur; after the first innings of CSK Mike Hussey who is often regarded as the Mr. Cricket told in a short interview that Rajasthan are favorites to win this match because they have the Watson Factor who is one of the Best all time All Rounders which the Cricket has ever produced and coincidentally Watson took the team out of trouble and RR won the game where they were in tatters. CSK had such a prestigious culture and a record of consistency as they reached to the play offs in each and every season. The image of CSK and RR who were the former IPL Champions got shattered and most importantly IPL got a stain on it. The focus of cricket got shifted as the spectators lost the faith in IPL. IPL of 2013 saw a new franchise come in the place of Deccan Chargers (DC) as they failed to give the bank guarantee to BCCI and in their place Sun Risers Hyderabad (SRH) came and took over the entire squad of Deccan Chargers (DC).

Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankit Chavan who were involved in spot fixing

• IPL of 2013 saw Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting together as an opening partnership where the Fans cherished this moment as both Legends batted together because at one place there was class and aggression with bat and on one side there was absolute dynamic, animated and one of the most successful captains in the history of Cricket who won 2 consecutive 50 over World Cups way back in 2003 and in 2007 and not to forget the two thumping Victories of Champions Trophy in 2006 and in 2009. Watching both these legends bat together was a dream for every child especially for the 90s born kids.

Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting playing for Mumbai Indians

•  Both Sachin and Ponting got injured in the middle of the tournament and they gave the reins of the team to Rohit Sharma who changed the base from Deccan Chargers (DC) to Mumbai Indians (MI) from 2011 IPL onwards. Rohit Sharma finally made MI Champions in 2013 IPL as they finally had a trophy in their cabinet. The Caribbean Players were shining and were just enjoying themselves as it was looking like that Caribbean Players made the most of an IPL Contract by consistently picking wickets in the form of DJ Bravo who stunned everyone with his deceptions as he grabbed 32 wickets in the season. BCCI ordered an investigation into these matters of betting and spot fixing and they immediately Suspended Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila for their vicious acts which harmed Indian Cricket. Till Today Sreesanth who is often regarded as a lucky charm for India as when he was in team for ICC T20I WC 2007 and in ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 India had won that too tournaments but for his offensive actions BCCI has not lifted his ban even after winning the High Court Case. When MS Dhoni was questioned about this matter and his name, he said that he will tell everything and speak when time will come. MS Dhoni was a decorated Indian Captain that time as the management and BCCI supported him.

Mumbai Indians Won IPL in 2013

 After the IPL there was Champions Trophy 2013 in England & Wales and Dhoni as a skipper took bold decisions as he dropped Sehwag, Gambhir, Yuvraj and Harbhajan. The media was burning MS Dhoni for his decisions and from nowhere India won the Champions Trophy in England and MS Dhoni became the first and only captain to win all the 3 ICC Tournaments. MS Dhoni proved to be once again the main mastermind behind India’s triumph where he supported the likes of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan to open and showed faith in the spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja who were bang on target with their line and length and not to forget the responsibility which MS gave to Ishant Sharma to bowl overs in crunch situations and everything paid off. MS Dhoni also said that India needs the young brigadier and blood to win and that happened in 2013 Champions Trophy. The main wrecker in chief for India was in the form of the coach Duncan Fletcher who helped an underdog team India to win a Tournament in Britain. After this tournament all the allegations against MS Dhoni were removed as there was no conclusive evidence where he was guilty but still there was a chink in the two Franchises CSK and RR.

• The 7^th Edition of IPL took place after the T20 WC which was held in Bangladesh in which India failed in the Finals against the Sri Lanka where everyone put blame on Yuvraj Singh for his slow innings of 11 runs in 21 balls which completely disturbed the rhythm of India’s innings because India were batting 1^st. Sri Lanka comfortably chased down the target and they became the 3^rd Asian Country to Win a T20I WC. After the match the fans of India attacked the house of Yuvraj for his poor show on a grand stage. As ICC T20I WC were witnessing new Champions every time the fever of IPL was not declining as the Culprits of the Game were not and still not allowed to even enter a cricket ground. IPL of 2014 didn’t saw Pune Warriors India (PWI) as they withdrew due to differences with the BCCI. IPL once again was a competition of 8 only teams. The first half of the IPL of 2014 was held in UAE due to Elections and the next half was way back in India. IPL of 2014 saw the emergence of KXIP Kings XI Punjab who took the IPL by storm as Glenn Maxwell was just toying with the bowlers and he was well accompanied by the Killer David Miller. Just when it looked like RR had booked a place in the place offs MI dethroned them by chasing a target of 190 runs in 14.4 overs as there was calculation done for MI to qualify and that match is often remembered for the Six which Aditya Tare hit on the deciding ball (deciding in the sense if Aditya Tare had hit a six then only MI had qualified); that match is still remembered for the MI culture and a never to say die attitude  as they were earlier out of the tournament as in the first 7 matches they had won only 2 but they didn’t loose hope and such a story of MI was not less than a fairytale; it is another point that they failed to retain IPL Trophy but such passion and craze only the MI had and still have. KKR spoiled the party of KXIP in the finals and became the second team to win two titles of IPL where first was CSK. Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy was bold and full of energy as a result there were talks going to once again consider him for India.

Kolkata Knight Riders Won IPL in 2014

• The 8^th Edition was held after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 where once again the Sly Aussies clinched the 50 over World Cup for a Record 5^th Time and Aussies thrashed India in the Semis and ended the hopes of a Billion. India in 2015 WC made a record by taking all the wickets in their 7 Matches including the Quarter Final as they picked 70 wickets and became the only team till now to bundle out the opposition in the league stage and in Quarter Final. IPL of 2015 had major focus on the emerging Smith and Faulkner as both were the chief Architect behind Australia’s Success in 2015 WC and great cricketing experts didn’t gave even a slim chance to Aussies to win World Cup but Aussies showed that they know how to win ICC Tournaments and especially the 50 over World Cups. Mumbai Indians once again had a similar start to the IPL of 2013 but this time they were even losing the games which they had won. CSK continued their dominance but MI were taking giant steps forward. Once again, the final of IPL was between CSK and MI for 3^rd Time and this time MI leapfrogged CSK and bagged the title for a record 2^nd time and became the 3^rd Team to win the title where CSK and KKR won 2 titles each. Rohit Sharma was evolving as a captain and it looked like India’s bench strength was improving in terms of the captaincy as the likes of Rohit and Virat were showing results. After a thorough investigation into spot fixing BCCI suspended CSK and RR for 2 seasons and in their place 2 new Franchises were added.

Mumbai Indians Won  IPL in 2015

• The 9^th Edition once again was held after the ICC T20I WC 2016 where India this time were knocked out in the Semis against the gigantic West Indies and once again dream of Billion people got rattled to see India win T20I WC in front of them as ICC T20I WC was held in India. IPL of 2016 proved to be emotional for MS Dhoni as he told in press conference that it was heart wrecking to wear a different jersey in the form of Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) as RPS made Dhoni skipper for the 9^th Edition of IPL. The another team which came in the place of RR was Gujarat Lions (GL) who was led by Suresh Raina. CSK’s core team was in RPS and GL and in the league stage of IPL 2016 there was a match between RPS and GL and it looked like the former CSK players were playing a practice match as from GL Ravindra Jadeja was bowling and Dhoni was batting and Suresh Raina of GL was captaining and after the match both Raina and Dhoni admitted that they never dreamt of playing such kind of match. GL of Raina were. In this edition it looked like that RCB would finally end their drought period of winning the IPL but at the last moment SRH spoiled the party of RCB as David Warner made a strong statement in the post-match conference that a team can win a tournament only when each and every player performs and not when only a couple of players perform as he indirectly said to Virat and AB de Villiers as these two players played a vital role for RCB to reach  till the finals of the IPL 2016. Virat Kohli made a record in IPL by scoring four centuries and scoring 973 Runs the most in the entire T20 Tournaments held in the World. RPS had a season to forget as they didn’t perform to their potential but in their last league stage match against KXIP  RPS required 12 runs off the last 2 balls and on the strike there was MS Dhoni and he pulled a miracle out of nowhere as the bowler was the left arm over off spinner Axar Patel and such a ending for RPS was a far more better than taking a wooden spoon in the tournament.

Sun Risers Hyderabad Won IPL in 2016

•  In the 10^th Edition of IPL two franchises RPS and KXIP changed their skippers as KXIP made the swashbuckling all rounder Glenn Maxwell of Australia Captain and RPS sacked MS Dhoni as skipper for his poor performance in IPL of 2016 and made the young sensation of Australia Smith as Captain. MI had a productive season this time where they didn’t gave an inch to the opposition as they topped the league stage. At the same time RPS gave a reality check to every team including MI and this transformation took place because of Smith and also because of MS Dhoni who was playing without any pressure because Smith took the reins and sparkled on the big stage. The final of IPL 2017 was heart breaking for RPS fans as they lost the match by only 1 run where MI showed everyone that they have the mixture of experience and youth as Mitchell Johnson won the game for MI and Johnson made a statement that he may be ageing but he is still one of the best fast bowlers. MI won the title for a record 3^rd Time and in all the three titles Rohit was the skipper and his shrewd style of captaincy made everyone happy that a next captain of Team India is in the making.

Mumbai Indians Won IPL in 2017

After the IPL of 2017 there was ICC Champions Trophy where earlier in the year of 2017 MS Dhoni pulled up the socks of captaincy and BCCI gave the reins to Virat Kohli. ICC Champions Trophy of 2017 gave a heartbreak to India as India collapsed in the final and surrendered against the Rivals Pakistan and that final loss also saw the end of the Coaching of India’s Finest Leg Spinner Anil Kumble as Kumble told the media during his exit that Virat Kohli had reservations of his captaincy due to which Anil Kumble resigned after the final of ICC Champions Trophy. The journey of India’s Supreme and Calm Leader came to an end in 2016 who had Trophies to show to the Cricketing World and had created a name  as not the best captain but one of the successful captain who earned respect wherever he played; but at the same time a  journey of an aggressive captain started who in his first ICC Tournament got into the dispute of the Coach and disturbed the dynamics of team India ; such conflicts disturbs the entire environment of the dressing room.

•  The 11^th Edition of IPL saw the returns of CSK and RR as they faced the punishment for their spot fixing saga and once again the chants of CSK and MS Dhoni started as CSK retained the core of their CSK in Auction. In a meeting of CSK MS Dhoni got emotional and said missing 2 Years with family (here family means CSK’s entire staff) was the tough time in his IPL Career. CSK had a team full of experience but all were above 30 years and mostly 35-36 who were on the verge of finishing their International Year and some were done with the National Duties.  Everyone gave CSK a tag of Daddy’s Army. IPL of 2018 didn’t have Smith and Warner as both were suspended by BCCI for their infamous ball tampering saga at Newlands South Africa and before that Cricket Australia (CA) suspended Cameron Bancroft for 9 months and both Smith and Warner for one year for their involvement in ball tampering and Smith was also banned for 1 year for captaincy for suspension and David Warner also got a life time suspension for leadership group. Darren Lehmann Coach of Australia also resigned and was in tears with what happened to Cricket of Australia. Warner was the main mastermind behind ball tampering and after six months Cameron Bancroft revealed in an interview conducted by the Legendary Wicket Keeper Batsman Adam Gilchrist that Warner trained him and motivated to do ball tampering; in a press conference Smith admitted that he had the opportunity to stop ball tampering but he regretted his decision. CSK was facing tough times in the fielding due to the ageing players but they also told to the critics when it comes to play to match winning innings there is no one better than the experienced players as the likes of DJ Bravo, Faf Du Plessis and Shane Watson single handedly won the game for CSK. KXIP were making life tougher for opponents as KL Rahul scored the fastest IPL in the history of IPL in just 14 balls and he was just slaying the bowlers and hitting them all around the park. But they failed in the second half of the tournament and lost momentum. Kane Williamson of SRH was the skipper for 2018 Edition of IPL as Warner was sacked by BCCI and he was the leading run scorer of IPL with 735 runs IPL of 2018. The final of IPL 2018 was nothing short of a fairy tale as CSK won the IPL for a record 3^rd Time. The Butcher was none other than Shane Watson who made a statement that form is temporary and class is permanent as he scored a thumping century of 117 runs in just 57 balls. CSK roared and told everyone that allegations against them were nothing but fake.

Chennai Super Kings Won IPL in 2018

•  The 12^th Edition of IPL was held entirely in India as BCCI provided security to the players as in 2009 and in 2014 IPL was held in different countries. The 12^th Edition of IPL was a stepping stone for the likes of Smith and Warner who were out of the Cricketing Action for Australia. For both IPL was very important to get their eye back in the game where Smith is a stalwart and Warner has an image of a dashing batsman. As ICC Cricket World Cup was scheduled right after IPL 2019 England and Australian Players were allowed to play only half tournament of IPL The name of Delhi Daredevils got changed to Delhi Capitals (DC) as Delhi Franchise was owned by two owners GMR Group and JSW Group. The fortune of DC changed by changing names as they finished the League stage with 18 points with 3^rd Position. Warner set the stage on the fire with his scintillating performances as he was the leading run scorer with 692 runs and it looked like a cruel Opener is Back to sort out previous matters and once again make his name on the big and grand stage. Mumbai Indians were looking as threatening as ever as Rohit got so much acclimatized with captaincy that he even outfoxed MS Dhoni in the league stage. The final of IPL 2019 was once again played with the rivals MI and CSK where both the teams had won 3 titles each. Lasith Malinga this time of MI played a similar role to Mitchell Johnson in 2017 as once again MI won the IPL of 2019 by a mere 1 run and became the only team to win 4 IPL Titles out of 12 IPL Editions. There was jubilation for MI fans where they once again choked the opposition and this time it was CSK. CSK will forever remember that how Shane Watson played with an injured hamstring and there was literally blood coming out but he showcased the Aussie Spirit which never says never and a never to say die attitude. Watson’s act made a strong statement to the young generation that no matter what happens you should always put your team and country first and he became a big example and inspiration for the cricketing world for his dedication because an another player would have taken rest and leave the field but Shane Watson made a statement that why he is being regarded as one of the All Time Best All Rounders of Cricket. CSK’s entire journey wasn’t that convincing as compared to the IPL of 2018 which was also one of the reasons for their inability to win IPL 2019.

Mumbai Indians Won the IPL in 2019

After the IPL there was a biggest showpiece event ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 which was at the Great Britain. It looked like that India has now made a habit to fall short at the ICC Tournaments as this time New Zealand vanquished India in the Semis. New Zealand’s players were bang on target with their line and lengths as they made life tough for India’s batsmen and so much tough that in order to fight Indian Batsmen decided to throw the towel as a result New Zealand reached to the ICC Cricket World Cup Finals for a consecutive 2^nd team. England edged New Zealand in the World Cup Final that too on a boundary count as the scores of both England and New Zealand were same even in the Super Over which happened for the first time in the history of ICC Cricket World Cup

The 13^th Edition of IPL is extremely important as it will give us clear idea whether MS Dhoni will take part in ICC T20I WC 2020 which is scheduled in October- November 2020 in Australia. For the first time a T20I WC is getting held in Australia where Australia has the long boundaries in excess of 80 meters. IPL of 2020 will also tell that how Indian Players are gelling for the T20I WC. If Virat Kohli has a disappointing season of IPL then it will affect the dynamics of team as IPL is no longer Indian Premiere League it’s THE INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE LEAGUE. This year’s IPL will tell which team has an upper hand in ICC T20I WC as T20I WC is taking place after a gap of 4 years as in 2016 West Indies won the WC from the jaws of defeat. The next T20I WC after 2020 is scheduled to take place in India 2021 that’s’ why the current and next IPL Season is going to be a humdinger.

• Main Connectivity between both

Media has played a big role in the fan base of IPL. IPL has forced the media to keep a show of a half an hour in which Cricket Experts the likes of Ajay Jadeja give their insights and predict what would have happen in the game. The likes of foreign players like AB De Villiers, Chris Gayle, DJ Bravo, Dale Steyn, Chris Lynn, Kieron Pollard feel like that India is their second home where they get so much love and money.

There have been special web series for IPL teams where Netflix named “Cricket Fever” in which they showed the making of a team behind the Scenes and the team discussions and meetings which indicate that how a team is formed to perform on the big stage. This Web Series is of the performance of Mumbai Indians in 2018.

There was a special Web Series for CSK named as “Roar of the Lion” by Hotstar for their comeback and winning the title in 2018 where the major focus was on how MS Dhoni influenced the team to clinch the IPL Title for 3^rd Time. This Web Series was made for the comeback which the men in yellow did in 2018.

There was a Web Series made entirely on the IPL named as “Inside Edge” where it’s first Season was introduced in 2017 and Second Season in 2019 in which they showed that how franchis.es manipulate the Game to earn money and they also showed how spot fixing is done. The entire concept of betting was also explained which gave a shock to Spectators. Both the seasons of Inside Edge were phenomenal.

• Conclusion

As long as IPL has got big names in the form of legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Foreign Players IPL will remain one of the Biggest Tournaments. Not only IPL but the likes of other tournaments: BBL (Big Bash League of Australia), T20 Blast of England, Hundred of England which is going to start this year 2020, MSL (Mzansi Super League of South Africa), BPL (Bangladesh Super League), Global T20 Canada, CPL (Caribbean Premiere League), T10 league; this tournaments have also changed the game of Cricket.

There is no doubt that T20 Cricket has changed the game of Gentleman’s but an aspiring Cricketer still dreams of wearing whites for his Nation as what TEST Cricket teaches is not even half what we enjoy in T20 Cricket. The likes of Smith, Warner, Root, Stokes, Quinton De Kock, Jason Holder, Virat, Kane Williamson, Starc, Cummins, Shami etc. cherish playing Test Cricket. IPL got started way back in 2008 and from that there have been 5 ICC T20I WC Tournaments, 3 ICC Champions Trophy Tournaments, 3 ICC Cricket World Cups. In which IPL has played a big role as players got developed in IPL and shined on the big stage in ICC Tournaments. India has the Richest League on the Planet and the Toughest Tournament in the World but after the start of the IPL India hasn’t won a single T20I WC which the BCCI and IPL should notice as overseas players are coming and are scoring humongous runs and taking record breaking wickets as a result sparkling in the ICC Tournaments. There are only 4 Overseas players allowed to play in a match and there are 7 Indian Players which are playing but an excruciating fact is that 4 players are proving to be dangerous. Until India grabs an ICC T20I WC it can’t be said that India is developing because after all Results matter on Big Stages not Excuses…