Cheerleaders, Bollywood stars, controversies and loads of matches.IPL is a dream come true for a nation like India where people eat, drinkand breathe cricket
Shops shutting down, housewives vowing off chores, elders praying before TV sets and youngsters willing to keep fast for luck! No this is not about Ramayana or Mahabharata being aired on television again; rather this is the latest frenzy that has caught the attention of an entire nation. The craze goes by the name of IPL or The Indian Premier League and it's catching soon. The fun started to roll in April, and since then it has made the idiot box more interesting. The Indian Premier League, a blatant lift from one of the most successful and magnum opus of a sporting event -- the 'English Premier League' -- has turned out to be quite a craze across all generations, with people getting glued to their television sets. If recent reports are to be believed, saas-bahu TRP's are tipping, movie halls are going empty, shopping malls and restaurants are registering lower footfalls and even the iconic Sharukh Khan is unable to lure his fans into watching “Paanchvi Paas Se Tez.”
Television's prime time has now become cricket time. The new T20 format has beaten all forms of games, even that of cricket, which was earlier, associated with the ritualistic five days of test cricket or the full day and night cricket. "Compared to the leisurely, ritualistic five-day matches played by men in white, this form of cricket is a loud and powerful display of batsmanship geared to grab eyeballs," says Ashish Nanda, a collegiate.
So, what makes IPL such a rage? The answer lies in the fact that today's fast paced generation finds it difficult to channelise their energies on just one sport for too long, hence the new slam-bang format of T20 is finding favour across generations. This fast and furious brand of cricket game gets over in roughly three hours. The game is also becoming popular as more and more people, especially youngsters and techies are using it as a stress buster. "It was a good stress buster. Instead of going for parties, it was good to be associated with our favourite game and movie stars filled with glamour and style," said Sunidhi Sharma, who works with a leading tech company. Also people are finding it more comfortable to go and watch these matches as its high on entertainment but low on time consumption. "It's too hot to sit out here for the whole day. These matches are just like watching a movie that gets over in three hours", she adds.
But with IPL, cricket is only a part of the spectacle. All the matches played so far have featured laser shows and stilt walkers, American-style cheerleaders and plenty of Bollywood stars blowing kisses from the stands. The nexus between cricket and Bollywood has been formalized and is ready for launch, where the likes of Preity Zinta, Sharukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, etc., fight it out for their favourite teams.
The IPL has also resulted in some memorable moments in form of rival teams chatting up in a friendly manner. Otherwise where else would you find Ganguly and Ponting in the same dressing room, making strategies or Indian cricketers hugging Andrew Symonds or the Mumbai crowds chanting Indians Indians Indians for Jayasuriya? These episodes lend a unique feel and interest to the game, and we can only agree with BBC, when they describe IPL as "a heady cocktail of sports, entertainment and commerce on a level that has never been attempted before.”
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