If you’re not living in a cave, chances are you know all about the Indian Premier League. This tournament has revolutionized cricket as we recognize it – but what is its backstory?
Where did it start?
How did the concept of this opulent, star-studded event emerge, and why has betting on IPL matches through secure websites become so popular? Let’s investigate. The IPL has its roots in a lesser-known similar league.
IPL began in 2008 as part of the ICC Future Tours Programme, stemming from the Indian Cricket League (ICL). After India won the T20 World Cup in 2007, there was immense potential to create something new with cricket’s growing popularity. Consequently, Zee Enterprises implemented ICL – a franchise-based league, however the BCCI did not approve. This rendered ICL unsuitable for online betting and a majority of players came from Pakistan, Bangladesh and World XI rather than star names. CPL’s debut saw teams representing cities such as Mumbai and Delhi but it lacked star appeal. By the end of the season, it became clear that ICL lacked necessary backing due to its lack of official support from India’s governing body – BCCI.
The BCCI refused to recognize the ICL as a legitimate national league, and they criticized Kiran More and Kapil Dev for participating.
It was apparent BCCI wasn’t satisfied with ICL, whether that was because someone beat them to the idea or because they weren’t given the opportunity to be part of it. It could even have been Maybelline – only time will tell.
The ICL stakeholders had difficulty expanding with the lack of support from India’s leading cricket body, the BCCI. In effect, the ICC would not recognize their efforts either, as they followed suit and deferred to the BCCI. To further impede progress, domestic tournaments were endowed with more prize money to deter players from choosing the ICL. Reports state that even international appearances were closed to ICL members. Ultimately, the BCCI successfully sealed their fate when they established the Indian Premier League relying solely on backing and resources which allowed them to make it bigger, stronger and more popular.
The ICL was short-lived and the IPL was grandly launched in April 2008. It was governed by a 7-member board and an auction with a total price tag of $400 million for all the franchises began on 24th January 2008.
The auction resulted in teams being set up representing cities such as Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mohali and Mumbai. Two years later in 2010, Pune and Kochi also joined their ranks. These changes also had an impact on the betting industry.
Since its inception, IPL has caused a revolution in cricket betting in India. With each team comprising of star players, bookmakers saw an opportunity to expand their customer base. Punters have taken every route possible – from real-person underground betting to online betting sites – to participate in the IPL action. Statistics show that bets handled by bookmakers across the spectrum during the inaugural season of IPL were around Rs.4,000 crore and this amount multiplied to over Rs.40,000 crore by the end of IPL 6. The tournament featuring 70 matches offered sufficient chances for punters to gain losses or make profit.
Mumbai Indians have achieved 4 titles thus far, Chennai Super Kings 3, and Kolkata Knight Riders 2.
Reverse bidding was a huge feature in IPL 2016, with bidders having to put forth their lowest bids to secure team rights. The most modest sum paid amounted to ₹16 crores by Sanjiv Goenka, owner of Rising Pune Supergiants, to the BCCI for a two-year period.
In 2015, two former champions – Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals – were barred from the IPL for two seasons due to their involvement in match-fixing and betting. It was one of the most significant scandals to affect the league.
In IPL’s 9th season, viewers had the amazing opportunity to act as a third umpire.
The Chennai Super Kings have reached a remarkable five IPL showpiece games.
Sarfaraz Khan made his IPL debut with the Rajasthan Royals at age 17 in 2016.
The Indian Premier League has been a cornerstone of success on international soil, and we can’t help but anticipate the kind of ecstatic enthusiasm this year’s edition will bring. Despite the unprecedented changes brought about by the pandemic, no doubts exist as to whether IPL 2020 will garner massive love from its legions of fans!
