What would happen if the IPL didn’t exist? - Scenarios Explained

India's mega cricket carnival The IPL has transformed the modern world of cricket since its advent in 2008. Hence, imagining a world without its existence would mean a topsy-turvy landscape of the current scenario in many aspects. Hence, let us peep into the global impact of one of the most entertaining and watched cricketing events of the world in this article.

Impacting emerging talents

The Indian platform has provided immense opportunities to a plethora of young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya to name a few, who went on to serve Indian cricket for quite a long. Now imagining them making it to the national side was far from easy. In fact, many players have scored a truckload of runs in the domestic circuit but failed to break into the Indian team for various reasons. Therefore, the IPL has been a blessing in disguise for Indian cricket in terms of watching some of the stars rising to prominence way quicker than expected.

Economic prosperity

The cash-rich league has significantly changed the financial aspect of the country as a whole and in cricket globally. It is due to the IPL, many jobs were created in terms of tourism and hospitality along with mind-boggling broadcasting deals and sponsorships. Furthermore, the overall brand value of the league has been on a meteoric rise since 2009, as depicted in the above data chart until 2024 as per Brand Finance. Besides, the infrastructure of cricket in the country got a massive push and turnaround in the form of better training facilities for players along with the upgradation of stadiums around the country. Hence, if the Indian Premier League did not exist, it would have left Indian cricket aloof and less equipped in the global context.

Global impact of league on players worldwide

The IPL spread its wings not only on the field but also off it as well. Earlier, foreign players were only used to visiting India for international tours and assignments. This meant that there were a lot of misconceptions about India as a country and also a lack of knowledge of the culture among the foreign players. Moreover, the relations of outsiders with Indian players were somewhat less friendly. However, with the emergence of the IPL, foreign players not only became quite friendly with the Indian players but also loved being in India for a considerable time. Furthermore, the success of the IPL paved the way for other cricket boards to start the T20 leagues around the world which may not have happened without the existence of the Indian cash-rich league.

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Increase in fan engagement with players

What is more incredible about the Indian Premier League is the fact that it brought fans not only from India but also away from home closer by redefining how the fans interact with the game and the players through high-intensity matches with a dose of entertainment in the form of cheerleaders and beyond. Besides, the franchise concept also brought the Indian fans closer to their regional pride in the form of city-based teams.

Evolving playing style in cricket

Apart from all the above aspects discussed, modern cricket aka T20 format has totally changed the way cricketers approach their game when compared to before the 2005 era and today. The batters have developed their hitting skills and are playing in a rather unfazed manner by adding some innovative shots and using unusual tactics to keep the opponent on their toes, especially in high-pressure matches. Hence, without the IPL, the game may have still been played on a traditional and slow note with fewer results coming out of the game in rainy situations.

Conclusion

The Indian Premier League cricket extravaganza not existing would have a significant impact on the overall global appeal of the game itself. Besides, not only India, other countries too got the idea to develop their talent pool further by finding new players along with entertainment in terms of raining sixes and fours. Though there are many leagues around the world now, the future of cricket was truly shaped by the king of all leagues aka IPL.

Disclaimer: All the facts are based purely on analysis and study of various sources and do not represent exact data or facts