As I watched Sourav Ganguly’s instinctual celebrations after he had cleaned up Kevin Pietersen on Saturday,
I realised for the first time I was paying the game my full, undivided
attention. I was fascinated to see whether Dada would be able to conjure
up another win for his team, the blue shades of Pune Warriors’ kit
reminiscent of the colours of the national team he had led not too many
summers ago. Not the cheerleaders, not the frills, but pure cricketing
emotion, stripped naked of all commercialisation, caught my attention.
Is this what the IPL needs to be relevant ten years from now?
As ratings for the mega-extravaganza continue to dip, it doesn't need Twenty20 mercenaries showing up for the various franchises. It doesn't need Navjot Sidhu's poetry coupled with the on-cue gyrations of cheerleaders in the pre-match show studio. What the IPL needs is that raw emotion, like that showcased by Ganguly in Delhi. And this is something that can't be bought at an auction.
Earlier, there might have been a connect people felt with the teams. People tuned in to watch Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians because they wanted to see Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar battling it out against each other. People might do the same now, for a Pune Warriors v Rajasthan Royals game. But the IPL cannot lean on familiarity anymore in order to survive. We are not likely to see Ganguly or Rahul Dravid here next year. Tendulkar might carry on for another year. VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble are already gone.
As ratings for the mega-extravaganza continue to dip, it doesn't need Twenty20 mercenaries showing up for the various franchises. It doesn't need Navjot Sidhu's poetry coupled with the on-cue gyrations of cheerleaders in the pre-match show studio. What the IPL needs is that raw emotion, like that showcased by Ganguly in Delhi. And this is something that can't be bought at an auction.
Earlier, there might have been a connect people felt with the teams. People tuned in to watch Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians because they wanted to see Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar battling it out against each other. People might do the same now, for a Pune Warriors v Rajasthan Royals game. But the IPL cannot lean on familiarity anymore in order to survive. We are not likely to see Ganguly or Rahul Dravid here next year. Tendulkar might carry on for another year. VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble are already gone.
To have a chance of surviving in the absence of these cricketing
icons, the IPL needs characters who have a spark in them, who compete as
if it there is no tomorrow. Manchester United has millions of fans all
over the world, not because it is a rich club. It is because when the
team plays, there is an unbridled passion that just spills over. They
keep reinventing smartly, bringing in players who might not be the most
talented in the world but, when they are playing together, they are like
a pack of lions.
The crowds that throng into the stadiums in thousands, the TV viewers who tune in in millions are not drawn to wealth. They are mostly the middle class who slog all week, not prima donnas looking for obscene displays of riches when they watch a cricket match. What they need are moments like what Ganguly produced that night against Delhi Daredevils.
So what is it the current lot of teams to do to stay in business? First, separate the owners from the cricket team. Let the cricketers do what they do best without being continuously reminded of who 'owns' them. Shah Rukh Khan, with all due respect, should not be what Kolkata Knight Riders stands for. Similarly, the Ambanis should not define Mumbai Indians. The IPL owners might genuinely be interested in cricket, but they have to treat it as a business and steer clear from the limelight.
Second, the teams should stand for something specific, and they need to buy players accordingly – they need to create brand recognition, if you will. Case in point: Daredevils have a battery of fast bowlers capable of holding their own against international batting line-ups. They have to make sure their image remains the same for the seasons that follow. They also have to select players and advertise accordingly. Similarly, Rajasthan Royals have consistently turned out teams of limited talent but unlimited grit, and need to maintain this identity. Constant reshuffling without a common thread turns viewers off and decreases market value of the team. Every IPL team needs to employ scouts who scour the country players who ‘fit the team’ instead of just buying players who are the flavour of the season – Mumbai Indians’ procurement of Richard Levi comes to mind.
I am not a cynic and I wish the IPL well. It is not an original idea (as Lalit Modi would have everyone believe) but it is a good one. It has the potential to expand the game of cricket across the globe. There is a market for cricket, especially Twenty20s, and the possibilities are endless. However, the owners need to take it upon themselves to be smart and plan smart. If they can do that, the game will be better off and, yes, they could be rich beyond their dreams. Just ask Malcolm Glazer. Malcolm who? Malcolm, the owner of Manchester United FC, the most popular football club in the world.
The crowds that throng into the stadiums in thousands, the TV viewers who tune in in millions are not drawn to wealth. They are mostly the middle class who slog all week, not prima donnas looking for obscene displays of riches when they watch a cricket match. What they need are moments like what Ganguly produced that night against Delhi Daredevils.
So what is it the current lot of teams to do to stay in business? First, separate the owners from the cricket team. Let the cricketers do what they do best without being continuously reminded of who 'owns' them. Shah Rukh Khan, with all due respect, should not be what Kolkata Knight Riders stands for. Similarly, the Ambanis should not define Mumbai Indians. The IPL owners might genuinely be interested in cricket, but they have to treat it as a business and steer clear from the limelight.
Second, the teams should stand for something specific, and they need to buy players accordingly – they need to create brand recognition, if you will. Case in point: Daredevils have a battery of fast bowlers capable of holding their own against international batting line-ups. They have to make sure their image remains the same for the seasons that follow. They also have to select players and advertise accordingly. Similarly, Rajasthan Royals have consistently turned out teams of limited talent but unlimited grit, and need to maintain this identity. Constant reshuffling without a common thread turns viewers off and decreases market value of the team. Every IPL team needs to employ scouts who scour the country players who ‘fit the team’ instead of just buying players who are the flavour of the season – Mumbai Indians’ procurement of Richard Levi comes to mind.
I am not a cynic and I wish the IPL well. It is not an original idea (as Lalit Modi would have everyone believe) but it is a good one. It has the potential to expand the game of cricket across the globe. There is a market for cricket, especially Twenty20s, and the possibilities are endless. However, the owners need to take it upon themselves to be smart and plan smart. If they can do that, the game will be better off and, yes, they could be rich beyond their dreams. Just ask Malcolm Glazer. Malcolm who? Malcolm, the owner of Manchester United FC, the most popular football club in the world.
