Another Year, Another IPL
2024 has been filled with multiple stories on politics and revelations in the domain of diplomacy. One thing which has not changed this year apart from multiple changes is the arrival of yet another season of Indian Premier League (IPL), the festival of cricket. IPL has entered its 17th year, and it still continues to capture the summer vacation period in India attracting host of foreign players to ply their trade and gain national recognition. IPL involves a lot of fanfare, and this year is expected to be no different. Or this could be the year of beginning of the saturation cycle of the product called IPL?
The wounds of 19th November 2023 are still fresh in a lot of Indian fans’ minds and IPL can be a small distraction but the quest for an international trophy is something that every Indian is now yearning for. So, would IPL be a raging success this year or it would head toward a dampening direction?
Only time will tell, but there are some factors to consider in IPL’s influence this year.
1. The Pain is still there: A home world cup final loss is tough to swallow, and a lot of fans are still coming to terms with that uneventful night of 19th November 2023. Indian fans have not been as passionate about the ongoing international matches and IPL will face an uphill battle to attract the same passion after the heartbreak.
2. Audition for World T20 2024: India has another chance to win the silverware at national level. The T20 world cup starts right after IPL, so the public may be interested in who would be the leading men who will be carrying the hopes of the country for a trophy after more than a decade.
3. Politics > Cricket: It’s election season and the ongoing controversies could spice up the elections starting from April. This may cause the public to indulge more in political actions and tracking elections rather than watch IPL.
4. Change of guard in IPL: IPL fanbase was built on loyalty to teams and their leaders. This is the first IPL where neither Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma nor MS Dhoni are captains of their teams. This may lead some loyal fans to be not as loyal in following their team. There is a change of guard, and it is tough to fathom how the public will swallow this change.
The verdict on IPL will only be out in next 40–45 days, but a cricket fan will always have their predictions for the top 4 for IPL. My pick for Top 4 would be.
1. Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Purely for the class of batting and the form their top stars are coming with in IPL.
2. Gujarat Titans: A strong backroom staff along with the unearthing of a new leader in Shubman Gill.
3. Chennai Superkings: The evergreen franchisee has all their bases covered with the ever-reliable Kiwis.
4. Kolkata Knightriders: This is a personal pick owing to my allegiances to the team from season 1. The power hitters combined with a miserly spin attack should see them pushing their way into the top 4.
