IPL is Responsible

A couple of days ago, a lady asked me, "What's this whole IPL thing going on? Why is everyone talking about it? I don't understand a word of it." Now I won't blame the lady for not knowing much about the Indian Premier League, since not every Indian loves cricket (yes, it's true!). And everyone is talking about it.

It's not just the cricket and the non-performing players that Indian fans somehow revere. And I don't think it's just because of the cheerleaders either. It's about everything else that has become associated with the IPL.

It's about glamour, in the form of Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan, and all other "celebrities" who go to watch the game. It's about the drama involved. One player sledges another, the latter slaps him in anger. And thus, a major news story unfolds, and no one talks about anything else. And then, there's kicking of stumps, and telling umpires what a catch is or isn't, and lots of other things I don't even know about.

But what really gets my goat is how IPL is gradually becoming responsible for everything that happens. Poor TRPs for soaps and Panchvi Pass? Blame IPL. Poor turnout at malls? Blame IPL. Empty multiplexes? Blame IPL. Fed up of that once-cute Vodafone pug running behind a bus with a tie in its mouth? Blame IPL. Pakistani players in India? Blame IPL...

And so the list goes on.

What really needs to be seen is how the IPL will affect other (err... boring) forms of cricket like ODIs and Tests, and, more importantly, Indian sports itself. In India, there's cricket, and then there's other sports. The cash-rich are obviously attracted to investments which give them the greatest returns in the shortest time period possible. And, right now, IPL (T20 cricket) is doing that for them.

It's safe to say that the IPL is a major attempt by rich people to get richer (nothing wrong with that), while fulfilling the dream of a common man to watch Indian and international cricketers (and hot girls with short skirts) live in a stadium without burning a hole in his pocket.

So, while young Indian cricketers get the break they wouldn't get otherwise, what about aspiring tennis players? Chess prodigies? Atheletes? Boxers? Archers? Swimmers? Must they be confined to playing local tournaments and pawning their mothers' jewellery? (Sorry, couldn't resist the Bollywood-style hyperbole).

Flamboyant he may be, but Vijay Mallya is one of the few corporate honchos who is putting big money into other sports as well. Thanks to him, we get an ATP tournament in India, and India has a place in Formula 1.

Developing world-class sportsmen requires long-term commitment and unshakeable interest by the people who have the resources and power to do so. We need training centres, stadiums, tracks and fields, and good coaches, all of which we lack. What we don't lack is talent. And I think it's time we do something about it. Maybe we need a Chak De India every year, each film dedicated to a different sport?