Desh Gaurav Sekhri's 'Not Out' takes a detailed look at the uncertain but fascinating world of the IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been through a lot of turmoil over the last few years, yet it has been able to capture the interest of the Indian public in May 2016. Hence, Desh Gaurav Sekhri's chosen title for his book on the IPL – Not Out! The Incredible story of the Indian Premier League – is really apt.

The book gives us a clear explanation of many aspects of the T20 cricket league which aren't known by most fans. Sekhri goes in detail about why plans for the league were rushed in the aftermath of India's World T20 triumph in 2007, and his descriptions of those early days are particularly fascinating.

When the IPL began, we saw it being compared to global sporting leagues such as the English Premier League (EPL) and the National Football League (NFL). The initial few years suggested that it was well on its way to becoming one of the biggest sporting leagues in the world. So what went wrong?

The author notes that the league was at its peak during the 2010 season, and the downward spiral and all the negative publicity began after the controversy surrounding the Kochi Tuskers Kerala. He states that the IPL is not exactly a success, despite the high viewership numbers, because operating costs seem to be increasing for teams.

The book gives a detailed breakdown of the match-fixing scandal that threatened to destroy the league in 2013. Sekhri goes in depth to explain how the BCCI, which swore by privacy until then, was forced to be more transparent. He adds that the BCCI had many opportunities to put things right but failed at almost every hurdle – especially with its handling of the Gurunath Meiyappan situation.

Sekhri also reminds us of some of the forgotten controversies – like four cricketers contracted to IPL teams receiving bans in 2012 after their involvement in spot-fixing and the termination of Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals before the 2011 season which were eventually overturned. The use of a commissioner, like in American sports, is suggested strongly.

Throughout the book, Sekhri comes across as someone who dislikes the auction system immensely. He is critical of the retention policy, which he feels gives a massive advantage to the stronger teams and doesn't allow the weaker teams to catch up. He questions how Yuvraj Singh was able to land himself a better payday than Suresh Raina in 2014 and 2015.

Sekhri gives a detailed description of a possible draft system which he feels will make the IPL a fairer playing ground. He wants a loan system in place so that the big players can play the playoffs even if their teams don't make it to the final stages of the tournament. This is one area where I'm not in agreement with the author. The players who got a particular team to the playoffs must take part in the marquee matches, and it'll be grossly be unfair to make them sit out.

Sekhri is also of the thought that the IPL is not a league. He argues that a 45-day tournament is not enough time for franchises to build a loyal fanbase and sell merchandise. Not owning stadiums and not creating enough talent via academies like teams in European football leagues do are a couple of other points brought forward by the author.

There is a suggestion that the IPL could use a two-tier or three-tier pyramid, but implementing a promotion/relegation system might be difficult.

The book also looks at the ownership of teams and the conflict of interest issue in detail. The lack of public knowledge about the stakeholders of franchises is a cause for concern, with Sekhri noting that there are less buyers for teams when compared to when the league began.

Another suggestion made by Sekhri is that the IPL shouldn't be completely controlled by the BCCI, and he cites the Premier League as an example. English football's top-tier is owned by Football Association Premier League Ltd and not by the Football Association (FA), and each club is a shareholder.

Although one could easily think of Sekhri as a person who dislikes the IPL, that is far from the truth. He credits the tournament for changing Indian sports, as the idea gave birth to a number of similar sports leagues in India.

According to Sekhri, the next year is a very important one for the IPL. He notes that the IPL is quite popular despite the mismanagement that it has faced over the years, and that the potential for the IPL is endless if managed properly henceforth.

Overall, the book is a very good read for a detailed description of what’s right and what’s wrong with regards to India’s most-watched sports league. It also takes an insightful look into what must be done in the future to take the IPL to a level where it could compete with the EPLs and NBAs of this world, and that's always welcome to read.

You can buy the book here.