Introduction:
BCCI has set a legendary milestone in the world of sports like cricket by creating the Indian Premier League. It is a cricketing league of 20-20 matches organized in India and contested by city-based franchise teams. Every single team represents a different city of the nation with players from all around the world. Players from the cricket teams of all other countries are bid on and taken to different IPL teams who play for that team along with the players of the Indian Cricket Team. Though in the last two years, the schedule of the tournament has been during different times due to the pandemic and its norms, it usually takes place in the early summer and is played in different stadiums in different cities of the country.
The tournament has been a prominent platform that has given rise to new and fresh talents in Indian Cricket like Ravindra Jadeja, Shubhman Gill etc.
History of the Indian Premier League
After India’s victory in the 2007 T20 world cup, on September 13, the BCCI decided to launch the franchise as Indian Premier League with the reserve prices of all the franchises adding up to USD 400 million. After the auction and selection of the teams, the franchises were sold for a total of USD 723.59 million with the cities in which the teams will be based being Kolkata (Kolkata Knight Riders), Delhi (Delhi Capitals), Chennai (Chennai Super Kings), Mumbai (Mumbai Indians), Bengaluru (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Mohali (Kings XII Punjab), and Hyderabad (Sunrisers Hyderabad). A few teams are also owned by renowned celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty, and many more.
In the later years, teams like Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Pune Warriors India, Deccan Chargers, Gujarat Lions, and Rising Pune Supergiants debuted but were soon dissolved. Though a lot of changes and shuffling has taken place in the formation of the teams, the tournament remains one of the most celebratory occasions in the country.
How Indians Enjoy and Celebrate the Indian Premier League as a Gala Event: –
The people of India always look forward to the commencement of the IPL season. Even though the last two seasons of the tournament did not meet the same fate as the years before due to the pandemic and its regulations, the enthusiasm among the people remains the same.
Due to the pandemic, the tournament was held in the United Arab Emirates to avoid gathering people as IPL matches have usually recorded very high numbers of crowds in the stadiums. But to abide by the rules of the pandemic the tournament was held in UAE by the end of the year.
Now that the strictness of the pandemic has loosened considerably, the IPL is back to its old form and is being held in India itself in 2023. This has again brought cricket fans to the stands cheering for their favorite teams. The fans start to shower their love on the tournament from the start of its inaugural ceremony itself which, marks the attendance of renowned celebrities performing for the crowd present in the stadiums to kick-start the tournament on a grand scale. Fans from all over the world show their support for their favorite teams by donning their jerseys in the stands along with different characteristic features of the teams like bands, hoardings, posters, and flags. Even in the scorching heat and summer in India, people do not fail to go to the stadiums and show their support for their teams.
Even though some sledging and booing are noticed between supporters of different teams, at the end of every match the country’s love for cricket overpowers all those rifts and arguments.
Also Read: IPL 2023 : A Thrilling Journey So Far
