Thread by @KShriniwasRao

#Thread
Why I think #IPL should go to SA…
#BCCI has said that as much as possible, they will try and host IPL-2022 in India, unless Covid forces a shift again. Their desperation to host it in India is understandable. After all, it is the ‘Indian’ Premier League. (1/25)

However, I’ll try and share my thoughts on why I don’t think IPL should be hosted in India this season either. Point No.1: If the IPL if once again forced to be played without crowds, then what is the single-most important priority? It must look good on television. Right? (2/25)

Only if crowds are allowed for matches does hosting of IPL in India make any sense. If it’s all about watching the tournament on TV, doesn’t matter whether it’s played in the UAE, Sri Lanka or South Africa – as long as it caters to India’s prime-time viewing. (3/25)

I doubt crowds will be allowed for IPL matches this year either, if the tournament is hosted in India. Covid fear hasn’t subsided yet. Also, BCCI will be forced to play matches only between Mumbai & Navi Mumbai – because they’ll look to avoid airports & air-travel. (4/25)

So, without crowds and 74 matches at only three venues will just be like what we’ve seen of IPL in UAE lately – predictable, toss-dependent results; wear-and-tear of pitches; bio-bubbles taking a toll on players; and quality of cricket taking a hit. (5/25)

BCCI will not go back to the UAE. Why? Because they’ve paid the Emirates Cricket Board close to Rs 150 crore already – to host the 2020 edition and phase-2 of the 2021 edition. That’s just too much money to host insipid games that haven’t really been exciting. (6/25)

Here’s my take: If BCCI wants to infuse freshness into IPL this season and make it exciting for television (even without spectators), it must move to South Africa. Enough venues available to ensure quality, SA is just 3.5 hrs behind and can cater to India’s prime-time… (7/25)

New and more venues will make matches less predictable, add more excitement. Different pitches – Newlands, Wanderers, St George’s Park, Kingsmead – will make the contest between the bat-and-ball more watchable. The IPL cannot afford another boring and dull season. (8/25)

So, that brings me to why I wanted to share this thread. The idea of an IPL in SA is pure nostalgia for me. In 2009, when it first shifted there, because of general elections, I got an opportunity to cover what I now recall as modern-day cricket’s greatest carnival. (9/25)

I have not seen a bigger party cricket has hosted. A lot is said about BCCI’s money-power; the general Indian fan’s madness for cricket; Corporate India’s backing of the sport; Bollywood’s fascination to stay involved. I witnessed firsthand what this cocktail can be like. (10/25)

Let me begin with what, in 2009, had become a standing joke in South Africa. While that tournament was on, even the great Nelson Mandela couldn’t have booked the Nelson Mandela Suite at the Saxon Hotel because everything in the country was kept reserved for the IPL. (11/25)

Think of a roadshow that sees the finest of vintage cars being brought out on display. When the team owners of the IPL landed in SA, sporting their Guccis and wearing their larger-than-life goggles, the country just opened every single door to accommodate them. (12/25)

During those two months, Lalit Modi could’ve contested an election in South Africa and possibly become the country’s next president. Such was his popularity. But jokes aside – cricket too was top-notch. There was only one 200-plus total registered. (13/25)

The average first-innings score in the tournament was between 155 and 175. Only eight matches saw a side bowling second win by a margin of more than 25 runs. Only on six instances did a team batting second win by a margin of 8 wickets or more. Matches were less one-sided. (14/25)

Majority games were close contests between the bat & ball. Weather was pleasant, TV production was top-quality, and the tournament – as much as it drove spectators to grounds – looked ‘awesome’ on TV. If you can't show crowds cheering, at least show the Table Mountains. (15/25)

Matches began at 12.30 pm (on day of double-headers) and 4.30 pm (local time in SA) to cater to India’s prime-time of 4 pm and 8 pm. If IPL’s inaugural edition in India (2008) had turned out to be a hit, the 2009 edition in SA bettered it overall. TV numbers skyrocketed. (16/25)

BCCI has paid Emirates Cricket Board close to Rs 150 crore to host the full 2020 edition & half of 2021 edition. They think they’ve paid too much money and must cut down. That aside, matches in UAE became far too predictable because of the wear & tear in the wickets. (17/25)

This season onwards, the number of matches will further increase. And hosting 74 games on just three wickets (even if there are multiple pitches available) is going to be another risk that’ll likely make the tournament appear dull & ‘unsurprising’. (18/25)

South Africa had enough venues, so BCCI allotted each franchise a ‘home venue’ – although this time, that may cease to be an option. Matches were held at lesser-known venues like Kimberley and East London and turned out to be great contests. (19/25)

Cricketers became rich and famous overnight. I remember having lunch one afternoon with a well-known New Zealand cricketer in Kimberley when we had all gone to visit ‘The Big Hole’ – the deepest hole excavated by hands in search of diamonds. Eerie place. (20/25)

The cricketer bought a diamond set for his wife. He was blushing – “only the IPL could’ve afforded me this,” he said. Yes, IPL did change a cricketer’s life. The world was charmed. And the edition in South Africa was that added spice making it all so much more delicious. (21/25)

There will be so much happening parallelly in India this year when the IPL action begins. BCCI will finish tendering the new media rights and start preparing for sale of BCCI bilateral rights. Broadcast industry will see a tectonic shift. (22/25)

Cricket’s most prized asset cannot afford to look mediocre at a time when it must look ‘rich’ in content and context. Let me share a Lalit Modi anecdote. It was one afternoon in Bloemfontein when he had arrived for a game early. The stadium had not started filling up. (23/25)

Players were yet to walk out on field, the DJ had not started the music yet, cheerleaders hadn’t walked out. “In an hour action will begin. When that happens, it is the easiest part of my job. Live action makes everybody's job easy.” (24/25)

“The tough part is when quality content goes missing. How do you keep your viewer engaged?”
It is a question BCCI must forever keep seeking answers to. They cannot take the viewer for granted. In that context alone, it is time for them to infuse some ‘life’ into the IPL. (25/25)