IPL hoping to ride on power of cricket

AS CRICKET matches shrink, from five days to fifty overs and now 20, there is a mixed feeling about the latest change. The purists dislike the newer format, to them any departure from tradition is a disaster.

The pragmatic lot, feel this is inevitable. Cricket has to move and evolve with time and the sport must reflect the changes sweeping the economy and
society. In this context, an interesting observation was made by comparing the forms of cricket to events in athletics.

Test cricket, according to this theory, is the marathon because it takes ages to complete and is a tough exam of skill, tactics and endurance.A one-dayer is like a short distance race - pacy yet there is time for strategic thinking and mid-course correction. Twenty20 provides no such opportunity, this is the 100m sprint - a short explosive burst with furious action, and a quick result.

The IPL is the ultimate dash - 59 games in 45 days - and currently all eight franchisees are sprinting to make it happen. The challenge for them is not so much the race itself but to manage expectations created by the event. With the IPL, for the first time cricket moved away from the BCCI into private ownership, franchisees were sold for huge amounts and players auctioned through a dramatic process for astonishing amounts.

Also, when SRK gets on stage to felicitate an unknown Napoleon Einstein (or someone equally obscure) people wonder about the excitement the new product will throw up. This is a live concern, not a theoretical challenge. Such expectations are impossible to meet and the franchisees hosting games are asking themselves these questions: Will fans turn up to see 7 games in 6 weeks? How will fan fatigue impact ticket sales? Will extreme summer heat, especially for day games starting at 3pm, keep spectators away?

Nobody has clear answers but pundits are willing to punt on the event, hoping the power of cricket will prevail and justify the investment into theme songs, promotions, launches and also pay the costs of building the brand. The IPL is an exciting cricket business opportunity. It is prime time TV entertainment, a bold new serial created to push up the TRP's and seduce sponsors.

But even here, there is a catch. The IPL has already taken away a major chunk of available revenue and only a few sponsors now remain in the game --- and they have eight options to choose from!

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