Opinion: Why a final between MI and CSK has defeated the basic premise of the IPL

The Chennai Super Kings take on the Mumbai Indians at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad in the final of the Indian Premier League on Sunday. Both sides are perennial IPL heavyweights, and have provided perfect value for money for their thousands, nay, millions of supporters. The Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians provide perfect box-office entertainment, with the superstars of the game marrying into the glamour and glitz of the showbiz industry.

However, a question that remains on every Indian cricket supporter with a conscience is- do these teams fulfil the basic premise for which the Indian Premier League was formed? The idea for which this tournament was devised was to promote young Indian talent and to bring them into close competition with the best cricketers in the world. The IPL was supposed to bring the limelight on to little-known domestic stars who ply their trade for their states in the Ranji Trophy, and provide them with world-class infrastructure and exposure.

It would be unfair to suggest that the tournament has failed its basic premise. There have been many heart-warming stories which have made their way into the average Indian's television set, and one believes that there will be many more of the same.

However, a close look into the squads of both the finalists of this edition tell us that neither team has promoted or brought young Indian talents into the fray, this season at least. The Chennai Super Kings have a well-set lineup comprising of most players on the wrong side of 30 and the Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, have invested heavily on foreign talent. There are no discernible young Indian players who have regularly turned out for either of these sides on a regular basis.

The Mumbai Indians are slightly better than the Chennai Super Kings given that they at least have India Under-19 stars Anmolpreet Singh and Anukul Roy in their ranks, alongside fringe India stars Krunal Pandya and Jayant Yadav. The only other youngsters they have on their roster are Jammu and Kashmir's Rasikh Dar and Mumbai's Siddhesh Lad. The fact that very few chances have been given to these boys must not be lost on us.

The Chennai Super Kings too have a bunch of young Indian talents in their squad, including the likes of KM Asif, Monu Kumar and Delhi's swashbuckling opener Dhruv Shorey, but these players are seldom seen featuring for the MS Dhoni-led side. The team from Tamil Nadu has traditionally been backed by experienced Indian and overseas talents. Players like Shane Watson, Faf Du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu and Dhoni himself, who form the backbone of the CSK lineup, are no spring chickens.

There is nothing more for us to say really than comment on the fact how both these giants of the annual Twenty20 competition have defeated the purpose of the IPL after being lured by the riches of winning it. One would rather admire teams such as the Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals or the Kings XI Punjab, who promote young Indian talents.

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