[1]Stirring finishes in close games that went the distance, a great final in which the result was open well into the very last over, greater cumulative eyeball and arena attendance figures than in the previous season, intense contests of quality cricket provided by international and national stars as well as uncapped players who put in impressive performances on the big stage made the cricket in IPL-5 a runaway winner. Some incidents may have put cricket on the front page of newspapers but the overall quality of the year’s league was so high as to make the declaration possible — cricket was the winner.
The game’s got a lot smarter and the fans too. As Gautam Gambhir the IPL-5 winning captain said, the game’s become all about a wholesome team effort on the field, which Kolkata Knight Riders went on to prove. The runs they saved on the field in the final were runs they earned making the chase manageable against a free-scoring team like Chennai Super Kings. The fans didn’t buy all the blather about scandals whipped up in vague sting operations etc., and turned up in greater and greater numbers for the key games and the final was an absolute sellout.
Wasim Akram, Pakistan fast bowling legend and KKR’s bowling coach, captured the mood in India in a nutshell when he slammed the baiting critics who saw only the negative side of events. “These are jealous people and should be ignored. IPL’s a great advertisement for pure entertainment. Only successful people have critics. In our culture, there is a tendency to run down a prosperous venture,” he said. However much the critics loathed the league, it’s clear IPL is a box office hit.
Akram’s big mate in television stints, Ravi Shastri, reinforced the point about people always wanting to knock down the tall poppy. “When someone gets a stomach upset, it’s because of the IPL. If someone gets an outside edge, it’s because of the IPL.” With a cumulative viewership figure of 160 million, the league has moved considerably as a sporting property in five years. The IPL telecast went out to more than 50 countries and in England they said it was the best thing to happen to afternoon TV since Neighbours debuted in the ’80s.
Summing up, Akram emphasised the success story, “Make no mistake. IPL is all about success. Every year it is making a positive statement and attracting the best in the world.”
Success also brings to the fore Gambhir who seemed to make things happen at every crucial turn for his team, which is clearly the hallmark of inspirational captains. His fast bowler, Brett Lee talked of how Gambhir is a structured player who likes to take on the opposition. “It can be a challenge to lead men from different countries but Gambhir has acquitted himself well.”
The clamour for Gambhir to take over the Team India captaincy from Dhoni in all formats is growing even if the thinking in cricket circles is Gambhir will at least be the Test captain soon even if Dhoni hangs on to the limited-overs job for a while longer. As a smart young captain, Gambhir displayed strategic acumen that was noticeable.
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