Anand Krishna’s musings

We are now roughly half-way into the inaugural IPL tournament and expectedly, there have been some upsets and reversals. Of course, the very format of the T20 format increases the odds of upsets. The Jaipur Royals, captained by Shane Warne, have got the better of teams that boasted of a stronger line-up at least on paper. At the other end, Ganguly’s Kolkata Knight Riders have now lost 3 matches, after annihilating Bangalore’s Royal Challengers in the tournament opener to weeks ago.  And in spite of Gilly and Symonds, Hyderabad’s Deccan Chargers are languishing near the bottom of the league (with Bangalore below them).

So is the IPL a success? Or has it failed? I would say that the reality lies somewhere in between. Without a doubt, unknown youngsters from India have got a chance to play with and against some of the world’s best. This will undoubtedly hone their skills and boost their confidence. But at the other end of the spectrum, players like Sachin have not yet taken the field- and the pyrotechnics expected of the Jayasuriya-Tendulkar combo still remain a dream.  There is also the risk of cricket fatigue setting in. International stars leaving at the half-way stage can significantly impact the drawing power of future matches. Tempers flaring on and off the field have resulted in key players like Harbhajan Singh being banned and Warne and Ganguly being fined a part of their match fees. And finally, commercial success of individual franchises remains a question-mark. I think at least half the franchises will find it hard to break even. And that may well determine their willingness to invest in the teams going forward.