The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in India contested during April and May of every year by teams representing eight cities in India. The league was founded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2008.
The IPL has become one of the most popular Twenty20 cricket leagues in the world. The league has seen many great players over the years, with some of the world’s best batsmen and bowlers on display. The IPL has also provided a platform for many young Indian players to showcase their talent.
The League has undergone many changes since its inception in 2007. Over the years, many teams have been introduced and lots of new players from around the world. Apart from that, viewers have found new ways to connect with their favourite teams and players – ranging from live team sessions, IPL betting, to locker-room scenes, and more.
How Did IPL Evolve?
The IPL is the most-attended cricket league in the world, and, in 2014, it was ranked sixth by average attendance among all sports leagues. In 2010, the IPL became the first sporting event in the world to be broadcast live on YouTube. The brand value of IPL in 2018 was US$6.3 billion, according to Duff & Phelps. According to the BCCI, the 2015 IPL season contributed ₹11.5 billion to the GDP of the Indian economy.
The Indian Premier League was founded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on 20 September 2007 with the first season commencing on 18 April 2008. The competition was sponsored by DLF IPL. It was announced that the prize money for the inaugural season would be US$3 million, with US$1 million going to the winning team and US$500,000 to the runner up.
The format of the tournament was similar to that of the FA Cup in England, except that only the top four teams from the eight-team league qualified for the semi-finals. The tournament was won by Rajasthan Royals, who defeated Chennai Super Kings in the final. Shane Warne was declared as the inaugural “Player of the Tournament”, while Sohail Tanvir bagged the “Emerging Player of the Tournament” award.
Controversies in the IPL
The IPL e is one of the most popular cricket tournaments in the world. However, it has also been embroiled in a number of controversies over the years. From match-fixing allegations to spot-fixing, the IPL has seen it all.
One of the biggest controversies to hit the tournament was in 2013, when three Rajasthan Royals players were arrested on charges of spot-fixing. S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were accused of accepting bribes to bowl deliberately poor overs in matches.
The scandal rocked the tournament and led to the suspension of the three players. The scandal also led to widespread allegations of match-fixing in the IPL, with several other players coming under the scanner.
In 2015, the IPL was once again hit by controversy when Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested on charges of betting and spot-fixing. Meiyappan was accused of accepting bribes to influence matches.
The scandal led to the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from the IPL for two years. The two teams were allowed to return to the tournament in 2018.
The IPL has also been hit by a number of financial controversies. In 2010, the tournament’s title sponsorship was awarded to DLF for a record Rs 200 crore. However, the deal was later cancelled after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India raised questions about the bidding process.
In 2013, the IPL was hit by another financial scandal when it was revealed that the tournament’s television rights had been sold to a sham company for a fraction of their actual value. The scandal resulted in the resignation of the IPL chairman and several other officials.
In the End
Despite all the controversies, the IPL remains one of the most popular cricket tournaments in the world. The tournament continues to attract top players from around the world and generate huge amounts of revenue.
