Published: May 12, 2013, 10:40 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 23, 2014, 09:11 PM (IST)
A general view of the Jharkhand Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi © PTI
As Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s hometown, Ranchi gets ready to host its first Indian Premier League (IPL) game, Nishad Pai Vaidya explains why the smaller venues can benefit from the tournament.
In its early days in India, cricket was a metropolitan sport. However, in modern times, it has penetrated the fabric of Indian society and has spread across the length and breadth of a vast and diverse nation. The advent of One-Day Internationals (ODIs) strengthened that reach and truly nationalised the sport. Now, it is the Indian Premier League (IPL) that is taking the game to the lesser known centres.
Ranchi, a sleepy town in eastern India is all set to host its first IPL game as the Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Up until January 2013, the city’s only cricketing claim to fame was Mahendra Singh Dhoni — who crossed the hurdles to reach the pinnacle of the sport. That changed when they hosted their first ODI with India facing the touring Englishmen.
Players like Dhoni and Munaf Patel emerged from cities that had little or no cricketing structure. These are inspiring tales, but players from such regions can develop better once they have a proper centre to hone their skills. One way of ensuring that is to take the game to those towns. This would help the sport grow in the interiors and it would be for the greater good of Indian cricket.
Generally, Tests are played at the established venues such as Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore and Mohali to name a few. However, there are numerous ODI venues in the country and there is a celebratory buzz in those cities whenever the cricketing caravan comes along. For those people, it is a chance to catch a glimpse of their heroes — who they see on television regularly.
During the IPL, we have seen Dharamsala, Indore, Cuttack and Visakhapatnam hosting matches. The latest addition to the list is Raipur — a city that got a swanky new stadium. The response for Delhi Daredevils’ two games was encouraging and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should consider the smaller venues on a more regular basis for the future. The Ranji Trophy may be the premier domestic competition, but the IPL is what grabs the limelight.
Through the IPL, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can prepare numerous venues for international cricket. Pune’s new stadium was inaugurated during the IPL 2012 and got its first international later that year. Dharamsala’s beautiful setting also captivated the authorities and it was cleared to host England for an ODI in January 2013. These developments help promote cricket in such areas and garner interest for the game.
Cities such as Indore and Cuttack do not get too many internationals and regular IPL games would help them keep pace with the world. In the past, we have seen a few smaller venues suffer as a result of lack of cricket. What the IPL games would do is that it would help maintain the standards at these grounds. The local associations would be on their toes as they would prepare for those matches. If they are allotted an international, they wouldn’t be found wanting on any count.
While the IPL may not be the ultimate form, it can help set the base for the future. The tournament is the confluence of domestic and international talent. If that exhibition is taken to the four corners of the nation, cricket would be the ultimate victor. IPL has a few benefits to offer and the BCCI must do everything to reap the rewards on all fronts.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and an analyst, anchor and voice-over artist for the site’s YouTube Channel. He shot to fame by spotting a wrong replay during IPL4 which resulted in Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal. His insights on the game have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. He has also participated on live TV talk-shows on cricket. Nishad can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nishad_44)
