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NEW DELHI — The Indian Premier League (IPL) has significantly influenced the 'gentleman’s game' by revolutionising playing styles, improving the financial stature of players, and heightening the level of fan engagement. These are times when parents want their kids to focus more on IPL and getting into Team India is secondary for them since the financials are taken care of by the cash-rich league.
The name, fame, and power that IPL provides are nowhere in the world, in terms of cricket. But has the IPL boom helped India gain a tight grip on the shortest format of the game on the international stage?
As per the record, the answer is no!
Since the inception of the IPL in 2008, India have not been able to secure a T20 World Cup title, their last victory in the tournament being in 2007. Despite the league's prominence, India have only reached the final once, in 2014, highlighting a gap between domestic league success and international T20I wins.
Now there are two things to describe it -- according to cricket pundits -- one is selectors never took any tough decision to build a new team for the shortest format. Secondly, foreign players earned and learned Indian cricket so well that in ICC tournaments, they knew the strengths and weaknesses of Indian players!
England and Australia, in particular, have strategically integrated IPL experiences into their national teams, creating well-rounded and adaptable squads. Their players have improved their skills and familiarised themselves with the Indian conditions and playing styles, giving them a competitive edge in global tournaments.
While the IPL has revolutionized cricket in many ways and provided substantial benefits to players worldwide, it has not translated into consistent international success for India in the T20 format. The league's benefits seem to be more pronounced for foreign players, who have leveraged their IPL experiences to enhance their performances in ICC tournaments.
"They come, earn, learn, and then beat India. The IPL has actually helped others in all these years," says a Delhi-based cricket coach.
The ICC T20 World Cup is just a few days away and the “experts” are “not one hundred percent confident” with India’s chances in the mega sporting spectacle.
Even a former BCCI official, on condition of anonymity, told IANS that India’s squad for the World Cup is not up to the mark considering the speed and demand of this format.
“We need cricketers who can score 50 off 20 balls not 100 off 70 balls. Whether someone likes it or not, but this format demands such a strike rate. I know there are people or fans who can argue on this but we have seen how this format is changing and we need to plan for the future. IPL benefited the Indian team or not, I can’t comment on it, but selectors should have taken some major calls to build the team. ‘Haro to haro, but alag se sochne ki jarurat hai. Like what Dhoni did in 2007',” the ex-official emphasised.
There are instances when India lost a major tournament and several former cricketers blamed IPL (fatigue) for it. And there are several foreign cricketers, who credited IPL for their success in international tournaments.
So, all those on the winning side are on record, one can't argue on that matter. But yes, some raw talent has emerged thanks to IPL and may get a chance in the Indian team shortly. But only if selectors take some tough calls. As it is said -- "A sportsperson is not bigger than the sport".