Special Edition: 13 Years of Indian Premier League

Indian Premier League is undeniably the best cricketing league in the world. Many talented cricketers were introduced to the international arena with the help of IPL. The introduction of IPL has not only changed the face of Indian Cricket but also International Cricket as well. Today, this top league celebrates its 13th anniversary. IPL started off with 8 teams and the organizers added Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants. However, the two teams are not a part of the tournament anymore.

The first match of IPL was held on April 18th, 2008 between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders. The opening match itself was a highlight, all thanks to the blazing innings of Brendon McCullum. The dashing New Zealand opener scored unbeaten 158 runs and helped KKR score a massive total of 222 runs. On the flip side, RCB went all-out for just 82 runs. The first match became a blockbuster hit and brought a wide fan base to IPL. After that, the viewership only increased every year.

Rajasthan Royals won the opening season of IPL. Out of the last 13 editions, Mumbai won five of them, Chennai won three, Kolkata won two, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals won one season each. Currently, the 14th edition of IPL is currently underway.

Many star cricketers of this generation, like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Natarajan, KL Rahul, and Manish Pandey, were the finds of IPL. The tournament made India a cricketing powerhouse over the last few years. Today, there are a lot of talented cricketers who are trying to make their mark in the IPL so that they can get a chance to represent Indian on the international front.

Also, Indian cricket former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni completed 200 matches in IPL. Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiants are the two teams that Dhoni played for.

IPL also built a friendly relationship between players of different countries. Before IPL, cricketers used to sledge a lot during international matches. IPL brought the best of international talents together and helped them build a friendly relationship with each other.

These days, sledging has become lesser compared to the past. Moreover, these players make healthy fun of each other even while playing for their respective nations. This became possible only because of IPL. Though there are some dark spots like spot-fixing and betting allegations in this league, we cannot deny the fact of it playing a vital role in developing Indian cricket. Long Live IPL.