IPL, an integral part of the Indian summer, returns to take over our lives

The Indian summer winks in with its unique sights and sounds. Of mangoes of various hues, cars puffing through hairpin bends to hill stations, night-long journeys in whirring trains and for the last 15 years, the sparkle of the Indian Premier League.
No year has gone without the cricketing extravaganza. Only once has it not highlighted our summers — in 2020 at the peak of the pandemic. Even then, the IPL was only delayed, not suspended, whereas Euro 2020 was forced out of the calendar to 2021. But IPL rolled out in September and October.
Everything else makes way for the IPL. Tinseltown has realised the folly of releasing movies in April and May. The blockbuster hogging primetime belongs to the IPL. Most superstars could be spotted in the stands during matches, either as owners or supporters. Even OTT platforms in the country premiere their marquee series and movies after the IPL window. The viewership of soap operas that drag on for the duration of several editions of the league invariably plunges, as IPL encroaches into their primetime space.

Game Face 🔛
ARE. YOU. READY for #TATAIPL 2023❓ pic.twitter.com/eS5rXAavTK
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2023
New industries have sprouted around it, like the numerous fantasy betting websites. Old ones like tourism have picked up. According to a KPMG survey report, the tournament contributed 182 million dollars to the Indian economy in 2021. A report submitted the UN General Assembly for Peace and Development placed the economic value of the league at US$3.2 billion. When the league began in 2008, eight teams were bought for 723 million dollars.
In 2022, CVC Capital coughed up 740 million dollars to purchase Gujarat Titans. It reflects the brand’s staggering growth. The 6.20 billion dollars auction of its media rights makes it the second-most expensive league, on a per-match basis, in the world. The league, categorised as a domestic tournament, of a sport played professionally in just a dozen countries, has superseded the most watched football league in the world, the English Premier League. Every EPL match is worth 11 million dollars, whereas the value of each IPL match is an estimated 13.82 million dollars, second only to the National Football League (gridiron football), where every game costs 36 million dollars.

Smiles 😃, Hugs 🤗 and anticipation for Match Day 😎⏳#TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/G21xMHn0NG
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2023
The league, despite whatever the sceptics said, was touted to merge into Indian life, culture and consciousness. The ingredients were in place — sizzle and dazzle, thrill and glamour, quality and authenticity. But few expected it to become a blockbuster as speedily or seamlessly, so much so that a summer without IPL, daresay, is inconceivable. As it blossoms into youth, one can only imagine the heady days that lie ahead.
Everybody’s watching
In 2008, its viewership on television was estimated to be around 100 million. 2020, according to marketing firm Yougov’s report, it spiked four-fold, nudging the 500 million mark. Streaming apps like Hotstar too have stolen a considerable chunk of the audience, viewership peaking at 8.6 million for a Mumbai Indians-Chennai Super Kings match last edition.
But the streaming giants could lose as much as 20 million subscribers, after Reliance acquired the rights in a record-breaking deal last year (3.04 billion dollars for digital rights). In a sense, the IPL has won the battle for cricket’s future. Other formats and tournaments will co-ex, but more like satellites of the league, revolving around it.
Nothing could hamper its soaring popularity — not even the spot-fixing allegations that many predicted would shake the edifice of the league, as the corruption saga dimmed the game’s popularity at the stroke of this century. Rather, its popularity has only soared. The league itself has got bigger, two more teams have been added, prize tags of players are blering in every auction, and innovative rules have been introduced.

Incredible centuries 💥Magical spells 👌🏻Thrilling victories 🔥
Which one was your favourite 🤔
Let’s take a look at the 🔝 moments from #TATAIPL 2022 🎥🔽https://t.co/klw5hVaG50 pic.twitter.com/QKDRlSFIYq
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 24, 2023
It could get bigger. There could be two dinct seasons a year in the future, eating into bilateral series, heeding to the demands of the broadcasters. The number of teams too could increase.
The reach and range of the league is broadening, fan groups and loyalty lines are more defined. Even cities and states without a team, or those that don’t host IPL games, are emotionally invested in the league. It has lost some of its stigma and suspicion, people don’t view this as an establishment of greed and grime.The bursts of entertainment on show have been dracting enough to draw even monkish eyeballs in IPL’s direction. The cricket has been competitive. The fans are clapping. The players, sponsors and official partners are smiling. The sceptics are now zealous converts. It is no longer considered gimmicky or trivial, but a serious tournament, with a standalone cricketing value of its own.
So accepted and indispensable the IPL has become that in 15 years of its exence, it has embellished the summer flavours of India, and is as definite a marker of the season as the mangoes, with its own unique and irresible flavours.