Is the Indian Premier League (IPL) a bona fide cricket tournament in its own right? How much prestige is attached to winning the trophy?

These may be considered silly questions to ask as the league goes through its 18th season, having long become a fixture in the Indian summer. The tournament’s valuation, done from time to time by major multinational accounting firms, rank it among the biggest sporting properties in the world. But in pure sporting terms, how much does it really matter?

November 19, 2023, has forever been seared into the collective consciousness of Indian cricket fans. The heartbreak suffered by the heavily-favoured hosts in front of more than a lakh home fans expecting nothing less than a coronation after the team’s waltz through the World Cup unbeaten, will hurt for a long time. In the same vein, June 25, 1983, and April 2, 2011, will be remembered for the spontaneous euphoria and sense of pride they generated. In contrast, dates of IPL finals are hardly remembered even by fans of the teams competing.

One may argue that achievements at the international level will always be placed at a pedestal higher than those of a franchise, and playing and winning for the country still carries more resonance in cricket. That may be true, and the factor holding back IPL from being a sporting competition, where winning and losing cannot be brushed away so easily.

But a team’s valuation often doesn’t reflect its on-field performance. Kolkata Knight Riders had underwhelming results in the initial years of the league, but that didn’t adversely affect its financials much. On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans won IPL titles not too long after entering the fray – the latter in its inaugural season itself – but didn’t reap the financial windfall.

This is a far cry from a giant football club like Manchester United, sweating over whether it will make the UEFA Champions League next season – by winning the Europa League. Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has put the estimated value of making the top tier of European club competition at between 80 to 100 million pounds. That puts every decision they take – in the boardroom, picking the manager and the players, and deciding the playing XI – under the microscope.

Star culture

On the other hand, a lot of the loyal fans of an IPL franchise wait with bated breath just for a glimpse of their ageing superstar, who is clearly not pulling his weight on the field. That franchise is said to be run like a family unit, but a professional sporting entity cannot procrastinate on crucial decisions even if they involve its biggest name.

Another franchise, headlined by arguably the biggest name in world cricket, has failed to get the trophy since the launch of the league in 2008, but that has scarcely hit its brand value. The fans may suffer regular heartbreaks, but have now learnt to treat them as badges of honour.

The champions in the first edition have garnered a reputation of grooming young Indian players, but that often comes at the expense of consistency and on-field results.

All this is possible largely due to the IPL being a closed league, without any danger of relegation. It allows teams that have consistently been in the bottom half of the points table breathing space with nothing to fear. There are no consequences of a poor season, just a few complaints from the faithful in the immediate aftermath of a debacle, with the hope that lessons will be learnt and next season will be better. With the possible exception of Mumbai Indians, the environment is quite forgiving.

With no avenue to qualify for a higher-level competition, once a team gets on a slippery slope, there may not be much to play for, except pride of performance. Consider the scenario in the English Premier League, the top sides vie for the title, with the other targets being the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, or even just avoiding relegation.

Other concerns

That’s the reason why the narrative is diverted to tangential questions – such as where MS Dhoni will bat and whether he will continue to play next season (even experts on TV calmly evade the elephant in the room as giving a frank opinion may result in the loss of a lucrative commentary gig) or whether a team will hit the 300-run mark in its 20 overs (even when a devil-may-care approach may be inimical to its on-field prospects). Broadcasters often set the narrative and then happily play along once it has been bought by fans and the television audience. In a personality-based environment, there’s reluctance to do away with underperforming assets, as long as the bottom line is not impacted. The owners hardly ever feel the heat when results don’t go their way, in sharp contrast to what happens in top-level football.

It’s this star-driven culture that has prompted the Indian cricket board to bar its golden geese from appearing in other domestic T20 leagues. It knows that the crowds that flock to the stadiums and in front of the TV generally come for the stars and not the teams. That explains the ‘Thala’ banners, not just in Chennai but throughout the country, and the ‘Kohli’ chants everywhere.

Whether to extend contracts to key players at a football club is a much-debated topic, not just among the top brass but among the fans too, who organize themselves into pressure groups to make their voices heard. That a club of the stature of Manchester United has struggled in the Premier League and will finish at its lowest position this season is the cause of much angst. In the IPL, such a debacle may just prompt a shrug of the shoulder.

A legendary football manager like Carlo Ancelotti may not be a certainty to coach Real Madrid next season after a – relatively – disappointing season, despite winning the Champions League in two of the previous three seasons, but one of the most successful IPL teams will think several times before changing their coach who has been with them almost from the inception of the league, despite two consecutive underwhelming campaigns.

With a match – sometimes two – every day, hardly any IPL match has much recall value after a couple of days. The stakes, and often the quality of cricket, never get as high as in international cricket, unlike in football when elite club competition may be the pinnacle in terms of level of play. As things stand, the IPL is an attractive distraction and an enticing summer pastime.