It’s that time of the year again! The IPL is back, and what a time for it to come: just after the Cricket World Cup.
In a multi cultural country, festivals never end. And the biggest festival of the country is back. Here we are, once again, welcoming the annual mega party: Pepsi IPL India ka tyohaar.
But wait, the World Cup just got over, who will even watch the IPL?
Honestly. Too much cricket, give me a break!
Logic would suggest that the country is currently experiencing a cricket overdose, and the IPL would not interest many. But then this would be one of those times, where logic fails for I don’t think India can ever really get enough of this sport.
And well, after the recent world cup loss, the nation needs this now more than ever. A lot of people haven’t been able to digest it yet, and this will be just the closure they’re looking for. At least for some people, those fresh open wounds can be stitched back and closed for another four years.
Twenty-Twenty to get over a World Cup?
Sounds like a rebound that is highly likely to fail.
As much as I am a supporter of the sport, the question about this shortest format of the game continues to loom. The luck vs skill debate is a never-ending one as the better team on paper never seems to have even a slightest of the edge when it steps onto the field. Case-in-point: some of the teams may look better or stronger, but you can never predict.
Who would we be kidding if we deny the fact that the outcome of a twenty-twenty game is determined a lot by luck? Would we be kidding the players, who put their blood and sweat into this game? Or would it be the team owners, who put their hopes truck-loads of money into this tournament? Or yet another, would it be the fans, who put their hearts and souls into it.
But the IPL is a pretty big deal out here, right?
Yes, it kind of is. The country goes into party mode.
A lot of things change during the IPL season:
- Managers should be prepared for employees wanting to leave work early so that they could see their favourite team play and fans making that early trip back home should in turn be prepared for the traffic jams caused because everyone around them is doing the same thing.
- Students should be prepared for doing badly on their tests and teachers should be prepared for assignments being submitted late, that is if they are submitted at all.
- And the people who have by some miracle been able to stay away from the madness for the past seven years, should be prepared for the monotonic conversations, comprising every aspect of last night’s game.
It’s not long before the classic “dog ate my homework” excuse is replaced by “was watching the IPL” at least here in India.
Sounds like Europe during the Premier League Season?
That’s exactly what it is! Every night is Saturday night.
Slowly and surely the IPL has deep-rooted itself in Indian culture. We speak of football fanatics and bars and large screens and beer; well with the coming of the IPL, the only thing that has changed is perhaps the image on that TV screen. The rest still stands the same: people getting together, coloured jerseys and friendly (or not so friendly) bets.
To look at the whole situation objectively, the fans are probably the most helpless part involved in the commotion. Very honestly, they cannot do anything about what happens in a match, or in most situations, what has already happened. However, ironically, it will be noticed that they tend to be the most opinionated.
But knowing that cricket lovers are superstitious even about what volume the television should be at, fearing that the batsmen would get out if they were to fiddle with the remote, it is safe to say, that the IPL or anything about it cannot, in any circumstance, be looked at objectively.
So what is the point?
Oh great, finally! Well, here goes…
The IPL fever is back in India, and watch out for it is quite contagious.
So just in case you haven’t already, say goodbye to that prime time soap opera you didn’t miss a single episode of in the past few months, and say hello to the Indian Premier League and embrace the madness and family feuds with open arms.
Gentlemen, lets play, for it is here, once again, to delight you, to entertain you and like always before, to surprise you.
The great India mega (rebound) party has begun. You are cordially invited: Répondez, S’il Vous Plaît!
