What is IPL? This question has multiple answers – it is a business for the team owners and the goons, a well paid drama for many (God knows how many) players and entertainment for the crowds thronging the stadiums. Is IPL connected with cricket? Yes it is, just like a big budget, multi-starrer movie on cricket – good script, good direction, outcome known, comedy for some and tragedy for the rest.
Yet fans go mad screaming their throats hoarse, hoping that their cheering will somehow influence the outcome. The players, like true professionals, manipulate the outcomes and manipulate the emotions of the raving mad crowds.
In more ways than one, IPL matches are like the movies. Let me try and list a few:
Movies : Big budget.
IPL : Big budget too.
Movies : Big crowd of spectators.
IPL : Big crowd of spectators.
Movies : Expensive tickets.
IPL : Expensive tickets.
Movies : Lot of action.
IPL : Lot of action.
Movies : Hero throws manipulated punches.
IPL : Bowler throws manipulated balls.
Movies : Heroine hits the heroes advances for 1 to 6 till her heart is taken.
IPL : Batsman hits the ball for 1 to 6 till his wicket is taken.
Movies : People go to watch the beautiful actresses.
IPL : People go to watch the beautiful cheerleaders.
Movies : People get emotionally involved in the action.
IPL : People get emotionally involved in the action.
Movies : Outcome known to the actors / directors/ producers.
IPL : Outcome known to the players / fixers / king pins.
After each of the numerous channels has spent a week covering “the IPLgate”, there are a few new demands from eggheads of the country – don’t ban IPL and legalize betting, like many other countries have already done. The TV channels are flooded with intelligent looking, articulate, debate-professionals, fighting pitched battles in support of their respective stands.
Watching these heated debates, I wonder why no one mentions things like cricketing talent, the love for the game etc. It is on these points people have been cheated. Ask yourself why did you get so emotionally involved in cricket, why did you take leave from office to watch a match, why did you shout yourself hoarse during the match, why did you pray for the luck of your favorite players, why did you argue with the supporters of the other side, why did you burst crackers and distribute sweets when your team won, why did you go into deep depression when your team lost? Why? Why? Why?
You thought it was about cricketing talent???!!! Come on pals! Relax and enjoy the action. Watch them act it out. You are watching an IPL match. It is a movie actually. If you are curious to know how the movie will progress and how it will end, find yourself a bookie. Days are not far when, like the movies, you will find the story of the IPL match on the web. Then we can read the reviews and decide which one to watch. Who said we are not progressive?
