What if: IPL had started in 2000
The IPL, in 10 years of its existence, has truly peaked the imagination of not only the cricket fans in India but also the world. A decade of enthralling action has not only been limited to the pitch but off it as well as stars from other fields have taken a keen liking to the happenings of the glittering league. Meanwhile, the auctions have seen fans clinging to hope that their favourite teams can truly add to their line-up.
And that same intrigue seems to have carried into our rooms at Sportskeeda. Let alone the IPL – the concept of 20-over games back in 2000 was a far-fetched one. But what started out as a means by the ECB to get the youngsters involved in the game, the concept of T20 cricket has given the game a new dimension altogether, helping it grow quicker in other parts of the world.
The eternal question of "what if?" always remains in our minds today as we explore what would have happened if T20 cricket and IPL had started about a decade and a half earlier.
#1 Pakistan players still wouldn’t have been a part of the IPL
Players from Pakistan were only involved in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. Ever since then, the deterioration of bilateral ties between India and its neighbour has seen Pakistan players being dropped from the annual cricketing extravaganza.
And the scene wouldn’t have been any different in 2000. In fact, the situation was, even more, grave at the turn of the century as with the two nations fresh off the battlefields in Kargil. In fact, it was not until 2003 that an Indian team toured Pakistan – after a gap of 15 years.