Why a shorter IPL before the 2019 World Cup is neededÂ
The Indian Premier League has been in operation for more than a decade now, and has grown in stature every year. IPL's brand value has gone up every year, thanks especially to the amount of young talent that have been on display with every subsequent edition. And while the league comes with many advantages, it comes with its own share of disadvantages.
The biggest of those being its effect on player's availability and fitness for international matches. Though the former issue has now been resolved - with IPL now getting an exclusive window in the ICC Future Tours Programme, the latter's repercussions have already started showing up.
Virat Kohli had to miss no less than two important multilateral tournaments this year, owing to hectic scheduling. Despite missing those two tours, there were reports of him having a stiff back towards the middle of the Test series in England - which made him skip the Asia Cup. Kohli is a prime example, and there will be many such examples coming up in the years to follow - if IPL does not curtail the number of matches in a season.
IPL includes a huge chunk of Indian players, and will become a necessity for all overseas players who get a contract - thanks to the handsome allowances. But all teams have to play a minimum of 14 matches in around seven week's time. Add to that constant travelling, rigorous training, matches ending at midnight, the scorching heat, events and press conferences - all of which takes a huge toll on an athlete.
Yes, most mainstream athletes are expected to be competing more than 200 days in a year besides training days. But most sports, as well as cricket boards, maintain a balance between international and domestic matches. Football leagues are far more hectic, but the number of international matches in a year are far less. Tennis is perhaps the most rigorous, and top players like Rafael Nadal have protested against the scheduling.
IPL could perhaps take a note from BBL (Australia), BPL (Bangladesh) or PSL (Pakistan). Even with a fewer number of matches, these leagues are hugely successful looking at the audience they are targeting. I understand that more matches means more viewership, hence more advertising revenues. But the league should rather focus on getting quality viewership in just one round of matches between two teams - rather than two such rounds. Even people's interests are retained in shorter tournaments than longer ones.
Let's talk about the 2019 edition first. Though this will be IPL's 12th edition and third to take place in the same year as the World Cup, things will be different. That's because both the IPL editions (2011 and 2015) took place (immediately) after the World Cup. This time, the World Cup is during the English summer, and the IPL is set to take place before the World Cup.
The IPL window has been earmarked between 3 April and 26 May 2019 - a 54-day stretch - while the World Cup kicks off on the 30th of May. Most teams would want their squads to be in the UK for at least two weeks prior to the first match. But the BCCI - going by their past record - won't miss a money-making opportunity as big as the IPL for the World Cup, would they? That is the only thing that remains to be seen.
BCCI managed to get their monetary demands fulfilled some 18 months ago, initially threatening to not participate in the 2017 Champions Trophy. This time, however, neither ICC or BCCI would enjoy a dampened World Cup owing to fatigue from the players. This year's World Cup is all the more gruelling with all teams having to play each other - and nine group matches for all teams - compared to six in the previous editions.
Big players such as Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle, Gautam Gambhir, Aaron Finch, Glen Maxwell, Mitchell Starc and many others have been released by their franchises. Mitchell Starc - the leading wicket-taker in the 2015 World Cup - is almost set to miss the Indian Premier League. So would the BCCI prefer a long, starless IPL? Or a short, star-studded IPL that sets the teaser for a great World Cup?
The ICC to needs to pitch in here, and get a deal around BCCI to shorten the IPL. They need to get into some sort of revenue sharing for the World Cup or the IPL to ensure that both the tournaments do not suffer. For any true cricket lover, the World Cup is more important - as it is a matter of national glory and is played once in four years.
Talking of previous IPLs that followed World Cup, most of those tournaments did not suffer as IPL is mentally less strenuous than representing your country at a World Cup. Even a few players missed the IPL after a hectic World Cup did not make a big deal due to the abundance of resources. But any major player missing any part of the World Cup after a hectic IPL can affect the fortunes of a nation.
Don't believe me? Then look at the correlation between India's international success and the success of the Indian Premier League. Had India not won the inaugural World T20 in 2007, the IPL would not have been SUCH a huge success, would it? A good run during the World Cup by players from let's say New Zealand or Bangladesh would, in fact, result in a tremendous direct growth of their brand value - of the players as well as of their respective national leagues.
I'd like to sum this article by emphasizing the importance of the World Cup only when compared to the edition of the IPL taking place less than a month before cricket's biggest tournament. It is just this edition of the IPL that should be treated as an exception, as one bad blow can affect international cricket negatively. Please give us a short IPL this time - one that we can enjoy without our spirits getting dampened.