When the BCCI announced the much-hyped IPL, most pundits applauded the effort as a revolutionary concept which would change the way we consume sports in this country. The media too went overboard requesting the proclaimed Moses of cricket (commissioner or father of the IPL!) to take his cricketing foresight to other sporting disciplines, probably also consider a cabinet position as sports minister.

The IPL had an opportunity to change the country into a sport-loving country and they had the right ammunition and resources in terms of mega bucks, high profile franchisees and star players from across the globe.

Most importantly, they were gifted with the humongous brand equity of a national passion called cricket.

However in my humble capacity as a reader of the sport, the brains behind the IPL made the catastrophic blunder of positioning the league as the next big reality show, mother of all entertainment and in turn downgrading the core value of cricket and its perception amongst its patrons.

I call this a catastrophic blunder because cricket was at cross roads and had the opportunity of converting the mass base of cricket consumers into true sports lovers who value the true essence of sportsmanship and core values of cricket.

Unfortunately, the IPL authorities and its broadcasting partner have taken the easier route, the mass base of cricket fans have been fed on the “tamasha” aspect of cricket instead of converting them into core sports lovers and more importantly alienating the heavy consumer (serious cricket fan) of the sport.

My worst fears for the future IPL ventures are:

1 We will have more frictions between high-profile egocentric franchisees, with little prior experience of running a sporting product and the core cricketing fraternity.

2 Player discontentment fuelled by the unwanted intrusion in form of the new ruthless corporate policies.

3 Putting cricket and its core value on the backburner by creating hype around the strictly ancillary aspects like the entertainment hoopla.

What a waste of opportunity to take India forward as a true sporting nation!