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Former South African captain AB de Villiers has hailed the Indian Premier League (IPL) as one the biggest in the sporting world ahead of its 17th edition, starting on Friday, March 22.
Since its inception in 2008, the IPL has grown from strength to strength, with several players, Indian and overseason, becoming household names. De Villiers was part of the IPL from its maiden season in 2008 to 2021, starting with the Delhi Daredevils before moving to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2011.
Speaking at CNN-News 18's Rising Bharat Summit, De Villiers expanded on the growth of the IPL and how the players from all nations came to grips with the Indian culture.
"It [the IPL] certainly is [the centerpiece of cricket]. It’s grown from strength to strength over the years. It’s not only the biggest cricket league in the world; I think it’s one of the biggest sports leagues in the world, which is quite something to have been achieved over such a short period. We’ve seen it really explode over the last few years," said De Villiers.
"The performances the players put in really make them household names. And some of the foreigners coming over here get to understand a bit more about the Indian culture and also become household names over here. So it’s truly remarkable. It’s a great opportunity for all players, and not only players but administrators and everyone, to get involved. And I think the cricket fans have really enjoyed it over the years," he added.
Despite retiring after the 2021 IPL season, De Villiers remains the sixth leading run-scorer in league history with 5,162 runs at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 151.68.
"It’s brought the cricket nations a lot closer together" - Brett Lee
Former Australian pacer Brett Lee echoed AB de Villiers' sentiments and felt the IPL brought different nations and their cultures closer to each other.
Lee played in the first six years of the IPL from 2008 to 2013, picking up 25 wickets in 38 matches.
"I think what the Indian Premier League has done is that it’s actually brought a lot of different cultures a lot closer together. In my first three years, I think it was playing for Kings XI [KXIP], the Punjab Kings back then, and seeing how different guys prepared. You got guys from South Africa, obviously, players from India and all over the world, and just the different preparations that they go through. And I think it’s brought the cricket nations a lot closer together," said Lee.
"It just gets better and better and better. I always joke that the hardest part about playing in the Indian Premier League wasn’t necessarily the training and the bowling. It was the afterparty, and trying to recover from that. So that was a lot of fun," he added.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) have dominated the IPL, winning in ten of the 16 seasons.
The 2024 IPL season gets underway, with CSK taking on RCB at Chepauk Stadium on Friday.
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