The Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket game gives many young players the opportunities to not just make money but also to display their talents. This was not the scenario more than a decade ago when there were no IPL cricket games. There are about eight teams, with each team having an allowance to play only four foreign players. This allowed a lot of domestic Indian players to come up and perform in front of a huge crowd. There were finally able to get the exposure that the brainchild of Lalit Modi was offering to them.
IPL cricket games gave an opportunity to these players, which they never had in a pre IPL era.
Many of these young Indian players come from lower sock economic backgrounds and have been able to make a name for themselves through IPL cricket games. IPL cricket games gave them fame which no other tournament could ever give them.
The Exposure
IPL has turned into no less than a festival in our country. This cricket tournament has changed the way cricket is played. It attracts a huge number of viewers which allows these young talents to get the exposure. Domestic cricket is not followed by everyone, because of which many of these young players tend to lose out on making it to the Indian National Team. There was no one to give them the pedestal to upgrade from a domestic tournament to a national level. IPL cricket games filled that very void. Now, the young players are constantly on TV, and every fan, selector or cricket is able to see his talents. This has allowed the young players to come into the fray and be considered in the national team.
This has not just helped the players, but also enhanced the National Team. The Indian Cricket team now has so many options right in front of them to pick and select.
One great example is the very own Indian Captain Virat Kohli. Kohli was still uncapped when he was picked by Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2008. He had led the Indian cricket team to a victory in the U-19 World Cup and was soon after picked up by RCB. Since then, about 12 years later he is now the Captain of the Indian team, and has broken innumerable records and started making new ones. While, Kohli rose to the ranks because of his own talents, but the role of IPL, which give him the exposure is undeniable.
Another example is of Ab De Villiers who was also auctioned in IPL 2008 as an uncapped player. Now he is one of the greatest batsmen to have played in cricketing history. He himself has credited the role of IPL cricket games in his growth and subsequent performances.
Other young players like — Hanuma Vihari, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane and more also started getting the exposure through IPL cricket games. The list of cricketers who have launched their careers after having played in the IPL is huge, with new names being added to it with every passing season of the IPL.
Learning From The Best
One of the best things about the IPL cricket games for the young Indian players is that they get to rub shoulders with the best of best in the cricketing business. They get a chance to play with big players who have a lot of experience and are always ready to teach. From players like MS Dhoni to Brendon McCullum IPL cricket games has helped the youngsters to get direct knowledge from this experienced cricketers. From techniques to pick assessments on how to handle pressure, everything can be learnt. The teams also have a coaching staff which includes one of the best players in cricketing history. The opportunity to get lessons and coaching advice from them is no short of a miracle. In the pre IPL era, such a scene, where Brett Lee is giving bowling advice to the raw and young Prasidh Krishna, is impossible to even imagine. This knowledge and the insights that these great players share, are extremely valuable and come in great use. The young players also tend to observe them and try to better their game. This relationship that IPL cricket games have provided is absolutely brilliant for the young players looking to make it big in the cricketing world.
Pitch Assessment
IPL cricket games have let these young raw players come into the forum of international cricket. It has pushed the young players from their training pitches, into stadiums that have international standard pitches. The cricket matches are played in the best stadiums of the cities, and all the players are able to understand the pitch and feel the difference. This also ensures that they have a better pitch knowledge and at the end of the IPL cricket tournament they know exactly how to play them. This gives the players a greater edge over the players who do not know how these pitches turn and react.
On a wider paradigm, it is not just the young players who have benefited from this great game of cricket. The very existence of such a cricket tournament has made the players to put their strongest foot forward and play well in every single cricket game. There is no space to take it easy and slog, every game has to be played with equal passion and dedication. This commitment has been inculcated into the minds of the young players. They realised what competitive cricket actually is, and how easily players get dropped after one bad match. This has overall raised the standard of cricketing in general. Initially, 160 plus was a good score in IPL cricket games, but now even 180 is beatable.
In IPL 2019, the young players have really come out with guns blazing and have shown their best. Rishabh Pant has been playing with gusto, and Shreyas Iyer has done a phenomenal job at captaincy and leading the team from the front. This has culminated into a great deal of exposure for these and many other young players in the IPL.
Every year, IPL not just comes up with new champions, but also has new talent coming up to the pedestal. This is what really makes IPL cricket games one of the most sought after league in cricketing history.
