IPL amidst Pandemic or is it Padnemic!!

IPL has had so far 13 editions of experience- in India, South Africa, UAE once each and UAE again now.IPL finals have been a brutally fought match till now. Mumbai Indians have emerged winners 4 times and Chennai Super kings thrice victorious. Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings have entered finals so far 9 times in 12 finals and that is phenomenal domination. Elections drove IPL out of India once in 2009 to South Africa and now the COVID pandemic has both delayed and moved the tournament to UAE in the current year. Wikipedia says that this is the most-watched Twenty 20 tournament in the world and the second-best paying sporting league globally.(link)

What are the specialties of the IPL tournament. It has had its share of scandals, scams, match-fixing cases, betting cases (betting in a game banned in India) and even Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings had to be suspended from the tournament for 2 consecutive years. One of the IPL heads who led IPL in its formative years is an alleged economic offender and is still at large having sought asylum in UK.

The Cricket tournament has had a tumultuous journey over the years, but still attracts addicted followers and ardent cricket lovers. Of course people from the old school still dismiss it as a big tamasha and not worth watching. Die-hard traditional cricket lovers continue to blame this auctioning of cricketers as nothing but cattle sale in our village backyards and cannot digest it as an offshoot of the modern evolution of the game as a business.

But all this has not diminished the viewership of the tournament over the TV. It is one big entertainment India enjoys as a cricket frenzy nation. TVs that have seen their ad revenues dwindling due to the pandemic have been resurrected by this tournament. Even though the public is not allowed to view these matches in the stadium. the telecast has added spice by inserting the artificial crowd roar, noise, trumpeting, jingles, etc. to make TV viewing lively and energetic. Perhaps the players on the field miss these mesmerising crowd roars in Indian stadiums egging them to perform better on the field. Some of the first week games which ended in a tie spilling over to Super overs have been a great exhibition for the game of Cricket.

Pandemic has bowled a googly at the economy, but IPL has partially offset its impact on the businesses by reviving the enthusiasm and the fun-filled colorful spirit of this cricket-loving country.With festive time just around the corner, hope this mood of optimism and enthusiasm catch up with the rest of the economy also.

I hear somebody murmuring COVID evolved from bats but IPL is played with bats wielding batsmen only.Pandemic is now Padnemic!!

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