The Indian Premier League, which commenced in 2008, quickly gained popularity in India, drawing inspiration from Major League Baseball (MLB) and thanks to the efforts of then League Commissioner Lalit Modi and his team. Eight franchises initially competed for the prestigious title, igniting immense excitement among cricket enthusiasts.
The inaugural match, where McCullum’s remarkable 158 runs for KKR against Royal Challengers Bangalore set the stage for the tournament’s success, remains vivid in memory. Initially, each franchise played a total of 14 matches, but with the expansion of teams to enhance franchise cricket and provide more opportunities to cricketers, the tournament has considerably lengthened over the years, resulting in a potential decline in viewer engagement.
In the current edition of the IPL, there is a noticeable lack of fan engagement, with fan parks alone not proving sufficient to address the issue. The absence of iconic overseas players such as Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and Dwayne Bravo, who once captivated fans with their extraordinary sixes, has contributed to the declining appeal of the tournament.
Since IPL 2022, with the increase in matches to 74, the tournament has been criticized for becoming monotonous. Moreover, the underperformance of traditionally strong franchises like CSK and MI in the ongoing tournament has further dampened fan enthusiasm.
Many franchises have struggled to leave an impression on fans, leading to diminished excitement surrounding their matches. Consequently, the focus of IPL has shifted predominantly towards bowlers, neglecting the thrill that batters bring to the game. The combination of lengthy tournaments and insufficient fan engagement strategies may continue to erode interest in IPL matches in the future.
What do you think has IPL organizers have lost the plot? What more can be done to bring back interest of viewers in the most popular sporting event also equal rules should be framed going forward which would benefit both batters and bowlers so that we can witness a classy competition.
