Indian Premier League (IPL), the only sporting extravaganza to be born in India is getting messier with each passing day. It was an event that put India on the global map and attracted eyeballs from all parts of the world. In a shocking turn of events, BCCI, a few days back, terminated two franchises from the league citing reasons of non-compliance to rules laid down by the IPL. The two teams, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), have shown utter disbelief and shock towards the decision taken by the BCCI.
Roll back a few years, a certain Mr. Lalit Modi who, prior to being ousted, was the blue-eyed boy of BCCI dreamed about creating a cricket league in India. He was turned down by the many authorities he tried to sell his idea to, many of whom ridiculed his vision. After many such disappointments, a group of elite visionary businessmen dared to believe in a dream called IPL and put in their money to get it up and running. The rest is history. IPL became a household name and the names of Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians Chennai Super Kings and etc became national brands.
For an average cricket fan, the recent decision by the BCCI has many implications. How can an avid cricket fan ever forget the magical moment when Shane Warne led a bunch of unknown players to IPL glory in the inaugural tournament? How can we forget the gleaming dimpled smile of Preity Zinta when KXIP took a wicket or hit a six? It was quite surprising when Preity ZInta revealed that she had put her Bollywood career on hold just to be with her team throughout the IPL. This spirit is shared by the owners of all the franchises, be it Shilpa Shetty, Shah Rukh Khan, Mukesh Ambani or Vijay Mallya. IPL, for these elite few, is more than just a means of minting money – it is a sport that they love and are passionate about; it is a brand that they envisioned; it is a means to reach out to the masses and spread a sense of joy.
Once an English columnist famously wrote that “premiership loyalty and wife are never changed”. Across all sports leagues in the world, fans never contemplate changing their loyalty for the club they support, come what may. However, in India today we encounter a strange case where Rajasthan and Kings XI fans would be forced to support other franchises if the elimination is finalised. It is truly a sorry state of affairs. These decisions actually make us wonder whether BCCI has gone a step too far in its supposed mission to “clean up” the IPL which actually seems more like ‘selective clean-up’. In a country where even Ajmal Kasab, in spite of being caught on camera killing hundreds of people, is given a fair chance to defend himself and put forth his points, it is difficult to justify BCCI not giving RR and KXIP a chance to defend themselves. It seems logically unfair that a bunch of relatively new/unknown investors i.e. the Kochi franchise have been shown some level of trust and given time to prove their innocence, however respectable and well-known investors associated with the IPL property for three whole years have been shunned. Furthermore, BCCI has displayed utter disrespect by not taking into account the feelings of the nearly 60 million people in Rajasthan, 26 million people in Punjab and millions of RR and KXIP fans across the globe in arriving at their decision.
The turn of events in the past few months clearly indicates that there is certainly more than what meets the eye. A change of regime in the BCCI has triggered off all these allegations against the franchisees. This makes us wonder why the BCCI did not find these anomalies earlier since the IPL has been going on for three years now. Also, why are only those teams targeted that have established links with “BCCI’s blue-eyed boy who suddenly turned into a fall guy”? It compels us to speculate that another regime change at the BCCI might mean bidding adieu to a Chennai Super Kings or Mumbai Indians or Delhi Daredevils and we may have new teams every time there is a regime change in the BCCI. It seems scary and hilarious at the same time, but that is where we are headed. Also, Indian’s not-so-happening rank of 133 in terms of World Bank’s ease of doing business report will not improve in a hurry since we are sending out a message that investing in India is never too safe and you may get engulfed in the bureaucratic tangle anytime.
It is too early to judge whether RR and KXIP should be a part of IPL or not, but it is only fair that these teams be provided with an opportunity to defend themselves. After all, we have to give it to them for helping build IPL into a brand that has managed to capture the imagination of millions. As cricket fans, we would all appreciate if BCCI makes prudent decisions and exercises transparency in all matters without any hidden agenda. At the end of the day, a game of cricket is always more enjoyable than a game of politics and bruised egos. And for all the people who have idolised Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab over the past three years, we can only hope that our beloved teams will continue to be part of the IPL and continue to bring a smile on our faces whenever they take to the field.
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