By Gaurang
May 22 2016

Under the captainship of novice IPL captain Suresh Raina, the Lions in their maiden IPL season have roared to the top of the table to become the kings of the IPL jungle...

Of course there remains the essential playoffs to determine whether they will wear the crown in the end, but already it has been a fairy tale start for the cricket mad state of Gujarat's first IPL franchise.  It was always a glaring anomaly that a state with THREE Ranji teams in Gujarat, Baroda and Saurashtra did not have even a single IPL team.  Now that they do, one hopes this the start of a new cricketing legacy in the IPL that will generate the same sort of fan loyalty that the erstwhile Chennai Super Kings and the current Mumbai Indians now command.  

When the IPL debuted nearly a decade ago, naysayers were quick to point out that India lacked a City based fan strucutre unlike professional sports in the USA and even professional football in Europe.  How would Mumbaikars or Delhites react to having a city based team with players who were bought and sold, and changed from year to year... nothing like the national team or even the State teams in the domestic tournaments.

The answer has been a tremendously positive one.  Modern Indian fans are just as passionate about their City teams in the IPL as football fans have been for teams like Real Madrid or Manchester United.  And the fan base is not limited by geographic boundaries but rather can be followed by ex-pats from those cities in all part of the world, as well as fans of individuals who play for the teams in various countries around the globe.

The IPL has been a smashing success over the decade or so that it has been in existence.  And is now generating so much buzz that the normally blissfully insular, ignorant and arrogant press in the USA is starting to realize that hey wait a minute, Cricket is a multi BILLION dollar sport???!!!

Kudos to BCCI and its administrators who have nurtured this growth.  Yes there were growing pains, and things are still not ideal...but the brand of cricket that the IPL represents, the vision that Lalit Modi and earlier Subhash Chandra with the proto-type ICL are products that are uniquely Indian that is world class and the best of class...and that is something to be mighty proud of.  

Gujarat Lions are King of the Jungle

Discussion started by Indian Cricket Fever (IP Logged), 22/05/2016 19:16

Indian Cricket Fever
22/05/2016 19:16

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016:07:01:22:21:50 by Birbal.

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Birbal
24/05/2016 19:22

RCB are peaking at the right time.... beat Guj in a surprisingly close game....

Guj still have another bite at the apple, so could still make it to the Final.

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Akbar
31/05/2016 04:03

So what happens in 2 years when Chennai and Rajasthan will be reinstated?
Number of IPL teams will simply increase by two?

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Birbal
31/05/2016 19:09

Yeah I think that is the plan...

Though I think extending the tournament to Lanka Bangladesh and even Pakistan and Afghanistan could make it even more relevant....

But dealing with so man Boards as well as the ground realities of terror, etc. may make that a pipe dream

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