Stories from the League

The cash rich Indian Premier league has been so thoroughly covered by the news savvy media, that there has hardly been any aspect of it that has gone unnoticed. Yet there have been many inside stories which have not gained the attention of the common man. A recent book called IPL Cricket and Commerce: An inside story by journalists T.R. Vivek and Alam Srinivas has unravelled such unexplored stories with the dexterity of an Aesop. The book marries cricket with commerce and highlights how strong business minds have culminated in making cricket a billion dollar industry.

One such fascinating story reveals that an IPL-like concept was hatched way back in the early 90’s. People in close proximity to the late Congress leader Mr. Madhavrao Scindia contend that he had thought up a cricket league similar to the English Football League. But his plans could not be implemented due to his own turbulent political career and the inherent politics of the BCCI. But there are some sections who believe that the idea indeed belonged to Lalit Modi, who got influenced by the NBA’S franchise system during his tenure in the USA as a student of sports management. Such debates will linger but it’s Mr. Modi, who will be credited with translating his idea into reality.

The book covers a very important aspect of the IPL – the Bidding Procedure – in detail. It explains the various components that the franchise owners had to consider while selecting the players. The financial clout in a tournament of such magnitude has been immense. So the franchise owners needed the sharpest financial and sporting brains to select the best possible combination of players. An astute marketing strategy in the bidding process was implemented by the Kolkata Knight Riders in their purchase of Bangladeshi all-rounder Moshrafe Mortaza. Shah Rukh Khan had clear instructions to his team that he needed Mortaza at any cost because he knew the TRPs from the Bangladeshi crowd would generate huge revenues for the franchisee. Hence, Preity Zinta lost Mortaza to Juhi Chawla, and the bidding broke the record for the longest time taken to buy any player.

The book also vividly describes the pre-decided mindset each of the teams had while bidding for each player and the amount of money each player should command. Thus, M.S. Dhoni was always India Cements first choice and they would have bid for him at any price. Each franchise had a maximum of 5 million dollars for player purchase and they had to judiciously assign the price of each player while choosing a balanced team. The process was similar to Super Selector begun by ESPN some years back where each player had a value and there was an upper limit in the total points accumulated. Eventually, Rajasthan Royals turned out to be master tacticians when despite being the least expensive IPL team, they emerged champions in the end.

The book also covers the stories of unknown faces who became household names after the IPL – people like Swapnil Asnodkar, Palani Amarnath, Kalyan Krishna and others. The IPL was a sudden passport to money and fame for these players who would otherwise have languished in the abysmal depths of ordinariness, hoping against hope to be selected in the national team. The IPL gave them a platform to perform on the biggest stage with some of the biggest names in world cricket.

A very significant part of the book has been devoted to the life of the man who made IPL a reality – Lalit Modi. The book explores how the spoilt brat of the K.K. Modi family ushered in a new era of business development through his bold moves and never-say-die attitude. His flair for courting controversy has turned Lalit Modi into world cricket’s most happening man. With his tenacity, innovative thinking, abrasive approach and a perfect understanding of the business of cricket, Lalit Modi has single-handedly changed the game like no other administrator ever has. And Modi says this is just the beginning. No one knows where he will end up.

The book is a must read for any person who wants to excel in the world of sports marketing. It dwells at length on the concepts of brand and risk management, both of which have been integral to the making of the IPL. The book beautifully combines cricket with business and is the perfect repertoire of infotainment for any cricket enthusiast. A thorough work by two business writers, both of whom share a common passion in life – cricket.