Dubai: With just two matches remaining in the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ranjib Biswal, the commissioner of the league’s governing council, is a much relieved man.
The situation was much different one-and-a-half months ago, when the IPL took off with a tentative start in the UAE, thanks to a rash of controversies and protracted legal disputes.
While the IPL machinery was at its best in handling the logistical challenges of hosting the mega event for the first time across two countries, Biswal was a calming influence in fielding media queries and was content to play second fiddle to the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who was appointed interim president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the duration of the IPL.
Taking time out of a hectic schedule, Biswal spoke to Gulf News exclusively on a range of issues.
GULF NEWS: There is a perception that, despite the initial hype, IPL-7 had lost out on substantial eyeballs due to the general elections in India. Do you agree with that?
RANJIB BISWAL: The IPL captured the imagination of cricket lovers in its very first year and the tournament has only got bigger and better in subsequent seasons. This was the second time the tournament was held at the same time as elections, after 2009. The matches played in the 2014 season were watched and followed avidly like those in the 2009 season. There was no direct clash from a TV point of view. The voting process took place during the day, while the IPL matches were scheduled in the evening and night.
Given the stormy beginning to the event for a variety of reasons, do you now feel that this edition has been able to restore the brand value of IPL to a larger extent?
As mentioned earlier, the 2014 season of the IPL has been a huge success. The cricket has been of a high quality, as it was in previous seasons. The fans have concentrated on the cricket and lapped it up.
With the benefit of hindsight, do you think it would have made more sense to extend the UAE leg a little more, rather than work out a fixture schedule in India with a heavy dose of double headers — even on weekdays?
We will never forget the support and affection showered on us by the spectators and authorities in the UAE. They were responsible for a flying start to the 2014 season and we will always remain indebted to them for the same. Having said that, playing as many matches in India as possible was and will always remain a priority. It is the Indian Premier League after all. Previous seasons of the tournament have witnessed several double-headers, so the players and fans are used to them. They were never an issue.
How do you think the ploy to spread more matches to new centres like Ahmedabad, Ranchi and Cuttack has helped the IPL grow in popularity and business?
The IPL has only grown in popularity since its inception. Taking it to new centres has added a new dimension to the tournament. Ahmedabad, Ranchi and Cuttack apart, matches have been played in cities like Vishakhapatnam, Indore, Nagpur, Kochi, Pune, Raipur and Dharamshala in previous seasons. The matches have witnessed capacity crowds. The games have also given the local associations and their parent body, the BCCI, the opportunity to display a new set of stadia, all of which are embellished with state-of-the-art facilities for the players and spectators.
Like previous years, there has been a new crop of uncapped Indian talent who shone in their teams’ success like Sandeep Sharma and Yuzvendra Chahal. Does the IPL feel vindicated with these success stories?
The IPL is all about talent meeting opportunity. Indeed, this is precisely what has been inscribed on the trophy to be presented to the winning team — ‘Where talent meets opportunity’. The IPL has provided a platform for several cricketers who may or may not have got to play at international level to express themselves in front of huge crowds and an international TV audience. It has given them the opportunity to share dressing rooms and rub shoulders with the legends of the sport. Observing the all-time greats in action, on and off the field, can only help them enhance their own skills. And this will only benefit Indian cricket. Yes, the IPL is immensely proud of this.
Cricket fans in the UAE have already started waiting in anticipation for a possible Champions League T20 here later this year. Can you give a status update on that?
It is too early to comment on the same.
