Hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the IPL is one of the most celebrated and fancied cricket tournaments of not just India but all the cricketing nations. The tournament has always provided some nail-biting and exciting cricket matches. The league has witnessed some thrillers and records that nobody expected from T20 cricket. The domestic cricket league gives a chance to budding uncapped players of India and even overseas players to show their talent on the big stage.
Before the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, the tournament was home to 8 teams. Each team was with a franchise of a different state and city of the country, namely, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Hyderabad. The previous edition of the Indian Premier League brought in 2 new teams Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans (also the winner of the 15th season). The championship embarks on the journey of the ten teams competing in this fierce battle to win the title of the champions of the Indian Premier League.
IPL Journey So Far
After its commencement in the year 2008, the popularity of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has just increased with each passing season and edition of the Tournament. The domestic cricket league has witnessed unmeasurable success through its increasing viewers, sponsorships, cricket players enrolling in the tournament from all across the world, and craze among the fans. It is called India’s festival by the fans.
The tournament has witnessed 15 editions and is just about to commence its upcoming 16th edition for the year 2023. The question that arises is why is the Indian Premier League so popular and why it has seen the success that so many other domestic cricket leagues fail to achieve.
Here are the reasons that have made the Indian Premier League achieve the success it deserves.
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High Sponsorship
The Indian Premier League and its teams have partnered with various companies that sponsor the Team jerseys, sports equipment, team funding, etc. The IPL Title Sponsors and broadcasting sponsors pool large funds for the BCCI to host the IPL. This makes the IPL approvingly financially successful.
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High Ticket Sales
As we have seen in all the matches, home or away, the stadiums are always power-packed, with a highly energetic audience. The people come out in huge numbers to support their favorite team. During the pandemic, as the IPL was shifted to UAE, the fans still showed their support for their favorite teams. No matter from which country, the fans visited UAE to watch the IPL. High ticket sales are a primary reason that makes IPL this successful.
. Successful and Budding Players in Teams Together
The Indian Premier League provides young players with a platform to showcase their talents and abilities. It also gives them a chance to play for their national teams after giving phenomenal performances in the IPL matches.
IPL sets a high standard for the players as the teams include big names as well as young budding players from all nations. This boosts the morale and confidence of the young players as they score against or take down successful players.
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Overseas Players Play Together
The IPL is the only opportunity for Indian cricket players to play with overseas cricket players on the same team. The combinations deepen the relations between players from different countries. This also helps them understand the overseas players’ strengths and weaknesses, which in turn helps them play against each other in their national teams.
One of the best examples of overseas player combinations is the 2016 squad of Royal Challengers Bangalore. Wherein the team had Virat Kohli (India), Ab de Villiers (South Africa), Chris Gayle (West Indies), Shane Watson (Australia) and Chris Jordan (England) playing together in the same team.
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Bollywood Celebrities and Entrepreneurs
One of the main reasons why IPL received the instant attention of the viewers and cricket fans was commencing the tournament with celebrities. The teams were funded by famous Bollywood celebrities and entrepreneurs, which made their fans instantly support the tournament.
A wide range of audiences came from the fans of Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Shilpa Shetty, who own Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, and Rajasthan Royals, respectively. The previous owner of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mr Vijay Mallya, was also in the eyes of the audience.
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High Viewership
The IPL receives a high viewership from its broadcasting networks. The tournament initially commenced with Sony Max as its broadcasting partner, changing it to Star Sports in the past few years. Recently, BCCI gave online broadcasting rights to Hotstar, which gains millions of views per match of the IPL, making it a highly successful tournament.
Conclusion
The Indian Premier League is loved and anticipated by every person, be it a man or woman, old or young. From the day its new edition commences, people begin to talk about their favorite cricket players, and their performances, making it a hot topic among all the masses.
Its popularity has proven that it is not just a highly successful domestic cricket tournament but one of the highly successful tournaments across all sports, be it viewership, finance, profits, and recognition. We shall look forward to its 16th edition in 2023.
FAQs
Q1. When was the first season of the IPL?
Ans – IPL had its first season in 2008, with Rajasthan Royals as its first champions.
Q2. How many teams will play in IPL 2023?
Ans – A total of ten teams will play in IPL 2023, as two new Teams were introduced in the 15th edition of the IPL.
Q3. Will IPL 2023 be played in the home and away format?
Ans – Yes, IPL 2023 will be played in the home and away format, and fans can come on the field to support their favorite teams.
Q4. Which was the first-ever IPL match?
Ans – The first-ever IPL match was held between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore on 18 April 2008 in M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
