Prime Minister India spinner R Ashwin believes the IPL has become so “big” that cricket itself sometimes takes a backseat as players find it difficult to juggle between training and commercial shoots. Ashwin spoke about the meteoric rise of the IPL since its inception in 2008 and how tough life on the road can be for a player over the course of the two-month competition. “As a youngster coming into the IPL, all I wanted to do was learn from the big stars. I wasn’t thinking about what the IPL would be like in 10 years’ time. I can say that because I’ve had so many seasons in the IPL seated , the IPL is huge,” he said on the Club Prairie Fire podcast. “Sometimes I wonder if IPL is cricket because sports take place backstage (during IPL). It’s so big. We end up practicing in commercial shoots and sets! That’s where IPL has ended up,” said Ashwin, a key member of the Rajasthan Royals squad.
The 37-year-old, who recently completed 500 Test wickets, started his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings and that led to him donning the coveted India cap across all formats.
In 2022, the IPL media rights were sold for a whopping Rs 48,390 crore for a five-year cycle, making it the second-largest league in the sporting world in terms of value per match after the NFL, trailing the English Premier League leave. , NBA and Major League Baseball.
Ashwin spoke about his early days in the IPL and how the event exceeded all expectations.
“No one envisioned the kind of growth that the IPL has had. I still remember a conversation I had with Scott Styris when we were both at CSK. He told me that when he played for the Deccan Chargers in the early seasons of IPL , he didn’t think the IPL would last more than two to three years.
“Initially there was a big influx of money,” Ashwin said on the podcast hosted by former England captain Michael Vaughan and Australian great Adam Gilchrist.
Players securing astronomical deals at the auction have also contributed significantly to the profile of the IPL. In the latest auction, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc fetched a record contract of Rs 24.74 crore from Kolkata Knight Riders.
“Look, over the years you would think that the IPL is one tournament won largely at auctions. I believe the auctions are a very important facet of this competition, but the beauty of the IPL is that franchises have evolved to obtain their teams are right.
“There is no one way to skin a cat. No player is bigger than the team. No player is bigger than others. The teams invest wisely,” said Ashwin, who also represented Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in the IPL.
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