Though it captures the viewer's interest so very easily, I tried to think objectively about the tournament, and here are my two cents:
What is great about the IPL:
1. Watching the old maestros still at the top of their game. (Read: Sachin belting a fiery Dale Steyn for 3 consecutive boundaries, while the latter was steaming in at 150 kmph ; Kumble outfoxing the new sensation Saurabh Tiwary in classic fashion - boy how many of those we have seen over the decades! ; Kallis yet to get out even once in this tournament, and pretty much demolishing every bowling attack in his way up till now .)
2. The exposure it gives the youngsters. Saurabh Tiwary being advised by Sachin while both are at the crease, young Manish Pandey batting with Kallis, rookie Ishant rubbing shoulders with Shane Bond and sharing the new ball with him.
3. Captaincy experience for guys who would never gain it otherwise. Dinesh Kartik, Gambhir, Raina getting a first hand experience of leading a side in a high pressure tournament. It matures them much more than anything else they must have been through.
4. It provides inspiration and awe to all the kids in your neighborhood and mine, who were previously inclined to think football and EPL are much cooler than anything cricket has to offer.
What sucks about the IPL:
1. The fact that it has become such an uncompromising format. For a true cricket lover, it is painful to see some veterans struggle to become part of the bandwagon. To watch Laxman (a master of wristy strokeplay and a class act to watch) labor to keep up with Gilly is saddening. Similar is the fate of Ganguly, who is no longer the God of the offside that he so flamboyantly was. His innings of 11, 15 and so on are not impacting the fate of his team at all.
2. Commercialization in its worst form. When Ganguly leaps backward and pouches a single handed catch while bent at an unbelievable angle in mid-air, it is something you will talk about a long time from now. A karbon Kamal catch is the last name you want it to be called, and it is irksome to say the least. When Gilly blasts one over mid wicket into the second tier of the stadium, it is a huge six, a massive hit, and all those names they call it, but somehow 'DLF maximum' almost belittles the moment.
3. Patronizing almost to the point of nonsense. When Shane Warne, with almost two decades of international experience, chooses to say "Yusuf Pathan's innings of 100 from 37 balls is the best innings I have seen till date" you feel like running over to him and shaking him by the shoulders. Come on Warnie. We know you're a man of the moment (in more ways than one, and lets not get into that) but there's a limit to it. You've bowled to Sachin in Sharjah, Laxman and Dravid on that unforgettable day in Kolkata, seen Steve Waugh bat on impossible pitches in the Carribean, and have witnessed Lara's magic from right across the pitch many a time. And yet you choose to call a 37 ball bludgeoning of Ryan McLaren, Rajagopal Sathish, Ali Murtaza and Sanath Jayasuriya the best innings you've seen? Again, come on.
4. The short sightedness of almost everyone involved. The aim sometimes seems to be merely to maximize the number of 'DLF maximums' in the game. To the point of shortening boundaries well below standard levels in many countries. Most of these IPL big hitters won't stand a chance of clearing big grounds in England and Australia. Hark back to the India- England T20 world cup match in 2009 when Ravindra Jadeja, promoted to a crucial top order spot, couldn't hit a single sixer. The 'Rock-star', (again one of Warnie's fake exccesses) couldn't clear the massive 93 meter boundaries. He went on to play a pitiful innings that cost India the match, and thereby, the entire world cup campaign.
All said and done, it is an interesting tournament to watch. Not close to international cricket, or even comparable to representing India, but enticing nonetheless. Let much be made of it, but only that much, and not a bit more.
