Indian Premier League- Gentlemen's game.. Just got Rowdy

Couple of days ago me and some of my friends headed to local sports bar in town to catch the grand finale of the IPL, for the uninitiated (which rock do you live under?) it’s the Indian Premier League. The latest iteration of the gentleman’s game. Personally I’m not much of a cricket fan, but was always fascinated how this game (The regular version) bought together the entire nation. Cricket was one-day affair. A family and community one at that! People would wind up work early; Kids were let off from tuitions early, the neighborhood store Walla would have a tv or transistor Radio facing towards the crowd so that the less fortunate can take a quick glance at the proceedings, That’s was then…


In comes the Indian Premier league, The magnamopus of a game, The Glitz, the Glamour and not mention the Moolah!! The cheerleaders, the after parties, all the ingredients that make a perfect recipe of a game palatable to gen next (as we call ourselves!). In short, Cricket has come of age, it has become cooler, more flamboyant and audacious .The next generation of the game catering to the young and the restless generation, who do not have time to do anything right the first time but always have time to correct it later.

As I was saying , me and couple of my buddies headed down to a local joint to watch the show( I don’t think it’s a sport anymore) and got ourselves perched on one of those couches. The place was buzzing with fans of both the teams. Team jerseys, Catch phrases.. basically the works!!!! The finals was a total nail biter with its Hits and Misses. But…. Something Didn’t feel right!!!!!! There was no camaraderie among the people. I was cheering my home team (which eventually one) when I suddenly realized I was a minority. I could sense there was more than beer that was brewing in that place, I cannot explain but the feeling of unity and oneness the game brought just wasn’t there anymore... We were not team India... We are the chargers, challengers, royals,knights, anything But team India...

Now you might say that I’m old school and that this is our answer to English premier league or that the game is going global. But, what I see is the brown man’s insatiable need to emulate the western way of life. That might not be entirely bad, but hey!! Isn’t that the place with highest acts of racism and Sports related violence? Don’t you think we have enough problems in that arena already?

The players themselves act less like sportsmen and more like rock stars with their on and off pitch antics. In all aspects looks like…

The gentlemen’s game…. just got rowdy.