Crystal Ball - Will IPL change cricket as we know it?

Make no mistake, IPL is going to change the face of cricket. In 5 years we are going to look back and remember the “old days” that cricket is now. Often people talk about change in terms of it being a bad thing. Sometimes this is true, but i dont think it will be true of IPL.

IPL will force cricket to change for the better. It will provide an exciting alternative to the current formats. It will revitalise a sport that has become a bit stale in recent years due to the utter dominance of the Australian team.

It will introduce new fans to the game. To those that are uninitiated, they often think cricket now is “boring” and “too long”. But by offering up the unadulterated excitement of big hitting, and action packed matches that only have a 3 hour duration, many of these objections will fade away.

IPL will also drag cricket into the big time in terms of money and commercialisation. More money for players & teams, more sponsorship and television deals. All this means more money flowing through the game, meaning a more professional spectacle for the fans. The quality of the game itself will improve.

Finally, and possibly the biggest predicted effect of IPL, will be that India will rise to the top of international ranks. Australia may currently dominate, but the reality is that IPL will be an incredible breeding ground for young Indian players. It will provide an incredible platform for young Indian cricketers to excel. Youngsters who gain an opportunity playing for an IPL franchise will be exposed to the best coaches, the best methods and most importantly, will have the chance to play alongside the very best players in the world. With those opportunities and the incredible national talent in India, it is hard to imagine how they will not rise to the top.

Perhaps if this happens in 5 years, people will look back at the retirement of many of the Australian stalwarts. Sure, Australia has had the benefit of a “team of a generation” and a gaping hole will exist when the bulk of them retire. But make no mistake, IPL will mean young Indian players have the chance to develop faster than they do now, and probably better than any other youth talent program in the world.