3 reasons why IPL continues to challenge international cricket in popularity and player loyalty

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is around the corner. The tournament gets underway on March 26 with last year's finalists Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) facing each other at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. As such, the teams have already set themselves in motion with preparatory sessions.

One key recent news that would have given heart to many IPL teams is that eight leading South African players, including Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and David Miller, will be available for the entire season. They have preferred to participate in the T20 league over their national team's Test series against Bangladesh.

While this has been the case in the editions gone by, this time, South Africa captain Dean Elgar had caused bit of a stir. He announced in a press conference that it would be a litmus test of loyalty for the players as they choose between national duty and the cash-rich league.

Elgar further said:

“It’s a tough one leaving that up to the players, but this is how we’ll see where the players' loyalty lies. They mustn’t forget that Test and one-day cricket got them into the IPL, not the other way around."

As expected, the players have decided to skip national duty in favor of playing for the franchise teams in India, thereby further proving IPL's pre-eminent status in the cricket world.

The success of the Indian Premier League has been remarkable. More so because the BCCI had scoffed at the very concept of T20 cricket before the inaugural World T20.

The IPL has been able to reach such heights due to a powerful combination of serendipity and the right ingredients for success. Let's take a look at the key reasons why this tournament continues to win over international cricket.

View the IPL winners list here.

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#1 The format, context, and fan engagement of IPL

Indian Premier League has a huge fan following not just in India but across the cricket playing world

Ever since the advent of the T20 format, it has appealed to the masses. The approximately three-hour extravaganza is good value for money and has helped increase viewership levels.

Secondly, unlike international cricket where the relevance and context of multiple bilateral series is hard for non-ardent cricket fans to understand, the T20 league offers a lot more context with a beginning and an end in a two-month span. The loyalty and brand building also helps the fans develop a sense of association with the teams.

To back it up, the quality of the cricketing action is also at par with the international level as the best players in the world are pitched against each other.

Lastly, alongside cricket, audiences have other means to engage, like the emergence of fantasy games, merchandizing, and the sponsor-led contests. This presents lot more opportunities for new-age cricket fans, with a shorter attention span, to remain hooked throughout the duration of a game.

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#2 Financial security and increased opportunity for players

Players continue to play T20 franchise cricket even after retiring from international cricket

While many young boys and girls pick up a cricket bat or a ball for their love of the game, making and sustaining cricket as a career option also requires financial security.

International and domestic cricket always had a huge monetary disparity. The IPL and other such leagues now offer a strong third option. In the case of a lot of players, the money from the T20 leagues is more lucrative than international contracts by a big margin.

The second factor is that the duration of the Indian Premier League is only two months in a calendar year. Also, the T20 format is less taxing on the player's body. As a result, a lot of players can elongate their careers and continue playing even after they have retired from the international game.

Many such examples are easily seen - Chris Gayle, Dwyane Bravo, Keiron Pollard, Faf Du Plessis, AB De Villiers, etc.

Another strong factor from the player's perspective is the exposure the IPL provides to young Indian and international talent. These youngsters get to play with and against the best in the world.

Widely-watched events like the IPL provide a great opportunity for discarded and aspiring cricketers to showcase their talent to a wider audience. This is not the case with domestic cricket.

Players like Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, and many more have been able to fastrack their way into international cricket owing to their performances in this T20 league.

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#3 Major source of revenue for cricket boards

BCCI ensured that the Indian Premier League continued to be played even during the pandemic times

For people running the game of cricket in different countries, regular revenue generation is key to growing the sport. The IPL accounts for a large percentage of BCCI's revenue.

Just recently, Ramiz Raja, Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), stated that Pakistan Super League (PSL) and ICC funds were their only financial sources of revenue. Raja now wants to mold PSL along the lines of IPL, to increase the revenues.

This goes to show how the IPL has set itseff as a benchmark for cricket leagues around the world.

According to Brand Finance, the present brand value of IPL is approx $4.7 billion. The financial might of the tournament was also evident from the fact that two new franchises - Lucknow Super Giants and Gujrat Titans - were bought at $0.93 billion and $0.74 billion respectively.

For the ICC and leading cricket boards around the world, the importance of this league is clear from how a two-month slot evey year is fixed for the league. No major cricket events or bilateral series are scheduled during this period.

Even during the pandemic, the BCCI, with the help of the ICC and other major cricket boards, ensured that the IPL was conducted properly.

As we get ready to witness the start of another edition of this premier league, it is clear that this tournament has all but established itself as one of the biggest powerhouse in the cricket world.