IPL vs. Test Cricket

I’ve been playing cricket for 17 years, yet explaining the game consistently turns into a difficult endeavor. Explaining the differences between my beloved IPL and the stodgy world of test cricket is quite simple. For you basketball lovers, test cricket is the NBA before the 3-point line was introduced. This is the clearest sports analogy I can dig out of my brain on a Monday morning.

The philosophical differences are as clear as the Caribbean water. Since an IPL match only lasts 20 overs (for each side), said side must obtain the highest amount of runs during their 20 overs. A test match does not last 20 overs – it can go on for as long as 5 days; hence patience is rewarded in test cricket. In the IPL patience it is spat upon, which is exactly why the IPL has become a 1 billion USD plus business and Test Cricket has been steadily losing fans and money over the years. The IPL is full of exciting plays (boundaries, run-outs, mid-wicket incidents, etc.). I would rather watch golf as opposed to test cricket and the only time I spend on a golf course I’m quite certainly intoxicated.

One must highlight 2 additional factors for the IPL’s exorbitant success. IPL stands for “India Premier League”. You’ve probably figured out by now that the league is based and held in India most of the time – a couple years back the IPL had to hightail it to South Africa for one season due to security concerns. Compare the fans in the Indian Peninsula and the West Indies to any other fans and you’ll see why players love plying their trade in such outposts as Rajastan. To say that Indians are enthusiastic about their cricket is about as mild an understatement as saying that Rush Limbaugh likes to talk in the mornings.

The last factor that explains the IPL’s superiority is a very, very American one indeed: money. Pure, glowing, unaduletered cheese. Some IPL players make 1 million USD for 6 weeks work. The greenbacks have attracted the World’s best players, who make this the best cricket I’ve ever seen.

I’ve never seen an IPL match or anything remotely related to it on the telly. I get my IPL fix from their own private youtube channel. The production value is so high that they fly a Spidey-Cam over the field NFL style.


This rant was brought to you degenerates by:

CHORI