Cricket is often considered one of the most worshipped games in the country & IPL has not only been a huge boost to the sport but has also opened new realms & opportunities to new & aspiring new cricketers. They not only got a chance to express themselves but also got a chance to sharpen their craft & climb further stairs of cricket.
According to Ravi Shastri, ‘IPL was always huge but was taken to another level when it was taken to South Africa in 2009, where it generated huge interest from other countries too.’ Currently, in its 16th avatar, the IPL had fifteen highly successful & highly anticipated iterations.
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The tournament not only became an extravaganza but also became a huge platform for young & upcoming talents from the cricketing world. IPL has not only provided a platform to many young cricketers who can take steps to be in the National team after proving themselves in the IPL. The IPL has not only given some very golden & electrifying players to Indian cricket but also given them a chance to showcase themselves on a large platform.
Journey of the IPL:
After India won the World Cup in 2007, not only BCCI but everyone in Indian cricket saw huge potential in a commercial & new format for the game. The amount of interest that was garnered in the game was unbelievable, former cricketer Ravi Shastri said in an interview with Star Sports, “The kind of interest cricket attracted after the 2007 World Cup was unbelievable & it came from all parts of the country, every industry stood up & took notice at the kind of opportunity cricket had become.”
Though the second edition of the IPL was shifted to South Africa because of clashing with general elections in the country, as a professional Twenty20 cricket league in India, the IPL was the brainchild of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Lalit Modi, who was then the vice-president of the BCCI. The league’s format consisted of eight franchise teams representing different cities in India, each comprising international and domestic cricket players.
Inaugural Title Recipient?:
If we talk about the history of the IPL, over the years the competition & the games just got better & more exciting & enthusiastic but the team that etched their name in the history of the game were Rajasthan Royals, beating Chennai Super Kings in the final match. Mumbai Indians are the most successful team, having won the title a record five times. Chennai Super Kings hold the second place with four trophies in their pocket. Two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders are the only other team with more than one title. Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers Bangalore are the only teams to have not lifted the title despite featuring in all 15 previous seasons. Gujarat Titans happen to be the defending champions.
Maximum Runs & Wickets in IPL :
RCB batsman & star cricketer Virat Kohli currently holds the record for most runs in the IPL with 6844 runs which he has scored after playing in 228 matches. Kohli has slammed 5 centuries & 47 fifties up until now in IPL. Following him is Shikhar Dhawan, the charismatic batsman from PBKS with 6477 runs in 210 IPL matches.
To date, a total of 14 players have amassed huge caches of runs in the IPL ranging in above 4000 runs, Suresh Raina- 5528 runs, MS Dhoni- 5037 runs, Robin Uthappa- 4952 runs, Ambati Rayudu- 4264 runs & Ajinkya Rahane- 4203 runs.
Team With Maximum IPL Titles:
Out of all the teams that have competed up until now to lift the IPL trophy, Mumbai Indians is the one team that has achieved this feat a maximum number of times. MI has lifted the IPL trophy 5 times, a record that still remains unbroken. After MI it is CSK that has achieved this feat the most with the number currently at 4 times.
The Indian Premier League is not only a very extravagant tournament but also one of the most-watched sports tournaments around the world. Inspired by the soccer leagues & teams in Europe the IPL continues & will remain to be one of the most anticipated cricket tournaments.
