Is IPL a game of cricket or is it just another form of reality entertainment?

Cricket is a game that is enjoyed by almost every Indian, cutting across class, creed, age and gender of the individual. The t20 format has set stages on fire and improved TRP rating like never before. The whole of the nation seems to be glued to the matches, with everyone enjoying every bit of the entertainment provided. The cheerleaders, the noisy commentators and the matches of course all add up to heavy excitement. Under all the noise and the glitz attached to the IPL, has the essence of cricket been lost? Are these matches been reduced to mere entertainment factors or are they games that can be enjoyed for the sheer talent of it all.

Initially T20 was all about hitting every ball blindfolded and most batsmen stepped onto the field with the intention of hitting every ball over the boundary. There was limited talent exercised and most batsmen were considered butchers who slammed the ball rather than playing cricket with the right cricketing style. This was very damaging to the game played. However, this season of the IPL saw a lot of difference with players stepping in to play some excellent cricketing strokes. The only difference between these strokes and those played in the other format of the game is that these shots were pushed harder and longer across the boundary. There has been immense talent witnessed in the batting department and cases in point are the remarkable strokes played by Chris Gayle.

Spinners have displayed a very poor performance with absolutely no bowler turning the ball. Only a few spinners have been successful in spinning like Muralidharan and Sunil Narain. However no Indian spinner has been able to turn the ball. The fact that these bowlers were only provided with balls that were 15 overs old is a point in question but still the effort by spinners have been poor. An improvement in the bowling department is necessary to improve the quality of bowling in the T20 matches.

The massive improvement in batting is an indication that this form of cricket is there to stay and will evolve as the best form of cricket till date.