The IPL has completed 13 years since its inception. It has been path-breaking in every possible way one can imagine. It has revolutionized the way cricket is perceived by the masses. It has brought glamour to the sport and made it attractive for all of its stakeholders. Thanks to IPL, today BCCI is the most cash-rich cricket board. The money generated from IPL also helps BCCI to invest in grassroots facilities and infrastructure.
Critics were agitated when this format was introduced by BCCI and allegations were made about the commercialization of the game. However, today one cannot ignore the humongous dividends this league has reaped. The dwindling interest of the audience has been revitalized with unmatched TRP numbers. New and talented players have been identified and have gone on to achieve glory for India at the international level. This league is essentially the talk of the town. Having said that, we take you through 5 interesting facts about this popular league that you did not know.
In this article, we look at some interesting facts about IPL:
1. Envisioned as a 50 over format
The IPL’s biggest catalyst has been its format. The short and dynamic nature of the game has made it interesting for everyone. In major part, it has been the T20 format that has worked for it. However, few people know that IPL was originally mooted by the BCCI in 1996. The Board had floated an idea to host a league competition with foreign players in the 50 overs format. This was because at that time the 20 overs format was not on the horizon. The plan did not go through and IPL was formally launched in 2008 by the Board.
2. The Captain Conundrum for Punjab
Kings XI Punjab is the only team that has changed its captain 11 times in the course of IPL. They have done it all with Indian stars, foreign players, bowling captains to young Indian stars. Sehwag, Ashwin, Gilchrist, KL Rahul have all captained the franchise at some point or the other. In 13 seasons they have changed their captain the maximum times. On the contrary, Chennai Super Kings is the only team whose captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been constant since the first match.
3. Money Spinner
The global media broadcasting rights for IPL for the period from 2018 to 2022 were sold for an astronomical amount ₹16,347.5 crore to Star India Network, which implies 1 ball price of around 21 Lakhs rupees. The bidding for these broadcasting rights are fiercely contested and big names such as Reliance, Facebook, Amazon, and others have all pitched in this battle.
4. Win and Loss Trivia
Kolkata Knight Riders hold the record for most consecutive wins in a single season of IPL.
In 2014, KKR won 9 matches consecutively. This unbeaten run provided them with the necessary momentum to go on to win the cup. Delhi Daredevils (DD) and Pune Warriors (PW) hold the record for most consecutive defeats (9) in a single season of IPL. Consequently, these two franchises have never lifted the trophy in history.
5. Century Jinx
The IPL could have not have had a better start than the first match that was played between KKR and RCB on 28th April 2008 in the Chinnaswamy stadium. KKR was put to bat first and opener Brendon McCullum went on a blitzkrieg that night by scoring 158 off 73 balls. His innings were the perfect exhibition and advertisement for the tournament. However, ironically that has been the only century scored by a KKR batsman ever in these 13 seasons of IPL.
