IPL and Its Popularity

IPL stands for Indian Premier League and this is a Twenty20 Cricket Competition controlled and created by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which is also the richest cricket board in the world. The first season of the IPL commenced in 2008 with Rajasthan Royals crowing themselves the title. The IPL became one of the most popular events – thanks to celebrities and their media attention. But besides that in a country like India, where cricket is a sport close to their hearts and Cricketers like demi-gods, such a nice event had to be popular without any reason.

Popularity of the Game
The popularity of IPL has been massive across all cricket loving nations and the shift of the event to South Africa has enabled the sport to earn more media and world attention. One can judge the popularity of the game and the sensation it created from the possible conditions that America where cricket is not a popular sport, planning to host American Premier League is almost similar way like IPL. Thus the game has really been influential to the world. The South African govt. readily welcomed the event when the Indian Government could not assure proper security cover the matches that would have been played during poll days and the management decided to shift it to a foreign location.

Shahrukh Khan and His Contribution
One can guess the popularity of the game when it is said that advertisers are ready to pay more for the AD spots during the matches being played. The second session of IPL is being played in South Africa in different locations. There are different teams in the IPL but the popularity and the most glamorous team of them is the Kolkata Knight Riders. This is a team owned by Superstar Shahrukh Khan, the reigning king of Bollywood and his company called Red Chilles Entertainment. He has tried all his best to take the popularity of the game to the next level. Though in both the sessions his team could not make that mark, but a lot of credit is given by all sections to the owner, Mr. Khan for adding glamour and attention to IPL. He has been first to display the dresses, music videos and then organizing a TV show to choose Indian Cheer Leaders in the IPL.

Besides the star power the team squads too good to see. Almost all the teams of the IPL do have players from almost all countries and this indirectly creates a kind of boding between players that other form of crickets failed. There was sportsmanship too before IPL, but those forms of cricket could not create the chemistry that IPL could create between players.

Opportunities for all
The newly formed IPL has opened opportunities for such non-recognized cricketers to prove their mettle. The teams of the IPL buy players from all countries and all categories. Many players who failed to get recognition or attention of national squad selection commission could put their show through IPL. With the IPL on cards now one can easily say that the game is sure to give something to cricket for near future and make it a popular sport beyond Asia and Europe and Australia.

Summary: The popularity of IPL has been massive across all cricket loving nations and the shift of the event to South Africa has enabled the sport to earn more media and world attention. The game has really been influential to the world. The South African govt. readily welcomed the event when the Indian Government could not assure proper security cover the matches that would have been played during poll days and the management decided to shift it to a foreign location.