ICL Versus IPL

VS

The so called Rebel Cricket League, christened the Indian Cricket League just completed its second edition of its 20-20 competition. After having sat through most the matches, I have come to the conclusion that it was definitely a good watch with all the thrills and spills and the added masala that this format virtually guarantees.

Apart from the entertainment that the competition provided, another thing that made it a success was the level of competition and the skills and talents on display. There was a marked improvement in the quality of the matches, which was aided to a large extend with the inclusion of the team from the across the border, the Lahore Badshahs. The team made up of the biggest names from the past and present players of the Pakistan national team took the level of competition to the next level, which I’m happy to say that the other teams were able to match, albeit in the last leg.

The inclusion of the Badshahs proved to be the master stroke that caught the attention of the masses not only in India but across the border and even garnered interest internationally. Although the Lahore team was beaten in a nail biting best of three final by the Hyderabad Heroes the tournament was richer for their presence, with some calling the Lahore side better than their national counterpart.

The final’s which was decided by a ‘Bowl Out’ was enough to give a Bollywood potboiler a run for its money. It will be very interesting to see how the much bigger IPL shapes up. With its relatively mediocre amount of investment that went into the ICL tournament, it was a much safer bet, but when you consider the amount of money that has been pumped into the IPC, it has be much bigger hit financially if it has to be adjudged a success. The competition between the two rival leagues can best be summed up like a real tight game of cricket.

“The ICL won the toss and decided to bat first and looking at the wicket they’ve put a good score on board. Looking at the squad of the IPL, they seem to be the favorite with the pressure and the stakes being real high, but it's going to be good chase and we have a good match on our hands. Spectators can expect a real cracker. May the best Win”