Summer might mean a lot of things to most countries that have to put up with gloomy weather for most of the year, but not in Southern Asia. Summer, in countries like India means one thing – Cricket season. Mostly because countries in South Asia have sunshine throughout and in the summer, the heat only gets brutal in the summer. India and neighbouring countries and even other countries like South Africa and Australia relate the summer to the IPL, or Indian Premier League.
IPL follows a shorter format of the game of Cricket which can otherwise range from one day to three days per match. Following a t20 format of four hour games, the IPL is a cash cow where you can expect advertisers promoting everything from healthkart coupons to the next thing that you can think of. The popularity of the IPL in India alone makes it one of the most watched sporting tournament in the world.
Still Growing
Cricket never was a very popular sport in the Americas and most of Europe even while dominating most of South Asia, Australia and parts of the Middle east and Africa. That may not seem like a big demographic to the uninitiated, but it is.
Barring Football, Cricket dwarfs every other sport in the world in terms of popularity. However, Cricket has also been growing consistently in popularity especially with the shorter format of the game gaining interest among countries who weren’t involved in the sport earlier.
IPL Factor
India being the country with the largest number of cricket lovers naturally is home to the richest cricket league in the world. Cricket craze in India is so high that the game is often referred to as a religion in the country. However, it isn’t just India that gets hooked to its televisions during the 2 month season.
The IPL is one of the most watched sporting tournament in the world and gets huge views among Australia, Pakistan or other major countries who play it as a national sport. Cricket enthusiasts and governing bodies of the game expect IPL to give an extra push to increase popularity among more non-traditional cricketing nations.
Should You Watch?
The IPL happens to be the most entertaining and exciting part of cricket, which makes it ideal for anyone new to the game. Each of the eight team has world class players sourced across the world teams that make for some high octane clashes with nail biting finishes.
If you’re looking for some alternative sport to watch when none of your favourite teams are playing, then cricket can provide some mean entertainment. Get started on the rules of the
Although the rules are pretty simple and it is likely you already know them, it is a good idea to look them up before you start watching.
Cricket is traditionally enjoyed in the one-day format as you’ll hear from loyal Cricket fans. You might even find others who argue that the ‘test’ format that can take upto 5 days per match is the only real format of the game. However, there is no denying that the shorter format of T20, especially the IPL makes for a very entertaining 4 hour game. And that makes it a great place to start if you are new to the game.