Scaling New Heights: Why Champions League can be Special!!

Why Champions League can be Special!!

(This blog post is written by Vidhyashankar, working as a supply chain associate with Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. in San Jose, California. He is an alumnus of W.P. Carey School of Business in Arizona State University. A very good cricketer himself, Vidhyasankar talks about his views on IPL and Champions League.)

First time when I saw IPL T20, there was a mixed reaction. One side I saw the excitement of the new format of cricket. The passion, the love and the craze for cricket in the land of cricket lovers, Can’t ask for more!! Their favorite heroes are now called Icon player and needless to say when he walks in the stadium erupts. Other side there was one question that was raised. How do foreign players can play with the person whom they regarded as rivals? A Pakistani in an Indian team, Impossible!! That was the last thing a true Indian fan could have ever digested. Fortunately, the game became bigger and fans started to embrace others. Of course, least to say that’s the way India has always been in embracing anyone. It could be the worst enemy but for an Indian he is another human. That’s exactly what our culture, our traditions have always strived. Be it the Brits or the Islam kings anyone in welcome.

But, as we see, globalization has slowly changed the way we think and the way we live. In fact we did see questions rise “Are we losing being the true Indian?” Arranged marriages are slowly vanishing, the concept of family is slowly becoming smaller. The change is always there. Neither has cricket nor the cricket fans spared from these changes. Subramanian was praying for Sachin Tendulkar to get out. (Something that was considered the sin of the highest order). Rao abusing Bhajji "Monkey" for getting Andrew Symonds out.

Bangalore vs. Chennai has become a place to add salt on the Cauvery issue. While, one side we are striving for unity and oneness among the nation the other side comes dangerous T20. Fortunately this danger took a quick a U turn. Don’t know whether this is going to long last. But in the form of “The Champions League T20” it helped from sentiments being too severe. Particularly, with an Indian team in finals (CSK), I could see Facebook status from Rao, Chatterjee, Kulkarni, Nair and of course Subramanian supporting CSK to win. Good to see India together atleast in a limited way. Had it been a CSK vs RCB finals the divide might have coexisted with unity "Saying its an all India Final". The purpose is being solved. CLT20 remained exciting for the whole nation as one and I think it could promote the game one step ahead at least in India!!

The purpose is being solved. However, a different school of thought would argue that whole point of a format such as IPL is to create a new market by dividing the fans. I am not really concerned about the big bucks at this point. Those big bucks are anyway there. If dividing was the whole idea then why did Makhaya Ntini & Boucher player for Warriors and not CSK and RCB respectively.

Whatever extent we go, definitely we take pride for playing for our own country. IPL might be exciting and fun. The fun to watch cricket by being drowned in the cocktail of patriotism and favoritism (for the team) cannot be matched. Probably, that’s how we have grown up watching cricket. CLT20 remained exciting for the whole nation as one and I think it could promote the game one step ahead at least in India!!

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Labels: Champions League Twenty20, Cricket, India, IPL