The Indian Premier League is the biggest cricketing event in terms of revenue and fan participation. But whenever there was money and fans. It will always cause controversies and conflicts. IPL is always the centre of attraction for bookies and fixers. A notable incident was the 2013 spot-fixing and betting scandal, which resulted in bans for a major franchise.
Currently, the 18th edition of the IPL is ongoing. Over time, we are having interesting face-offs. In this edition, we have a super over between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals. The Punjab Kings defend the lowest total against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi Deifying Stereotype
What captured most of the fans’ attention was the auction, where the Rajasthan Royals selected a boy aged just 14. What made this more impactful is that we had just seen the incident involving Fahamedul Islam, a Bangladeshi footballer. Who called for the international team but was not given a chance to represent a team? The reason given by the coach was that he does not have enough experience.
We fear that Vaibhav Suryavanshi may face a similar tale. The youngest player to participate in the IPL was 16 years old when Prayas Ray Barman debuted for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019. So if Vaibhav made his debut for RR, he would become the youngest player ever to take the field for any IPL team.
In the first seven face-offs, Vaibhav does not get a chance. And things are shaping up like he will not be able to play a single game. But on Saturday, 19th April, during RR’s face-off with Lucknow Super Giants, Vaibhav was included in the substitute list. Vaibhav got a chance when they came to chance down 181. Vaibhav stepped up and made an impact, scoring 34 off 20 balls, hitting 5 boundaries, including 3 sixes and 2 fours.
The innings stunned spectators and even cricket experts. All because of the confidence Vaibhav showcased on the pitch. This thing was a vital cause of a stereotype broken in South Asia. Where athletes barely found any support from their families. At the same time, this gem also broke the age stereotype.
Digvesh Rathi and Virat Kohli’s Celebration
Other than that, there was only one name that made headlines. It was Lucknow Super Giants spinner Digvesh Rathi. It was his celebration style that hyped things. The bowlers were sold to LSG for 3 Million INR, and surprisingly, Digvesh got fined 5,62,500 INR in 2 matches.
Digvesh is hyped for his offensive signature signing celebrations, but Fine failed to stop Digvesh from his celebration. And he did it again, but this time it was not fine. Rising question over the Cricketing Board: Do you step down in front of an uncapped player?
Things got serious when Virat Kohli went down with a similar, offensive, and aggressive celebration. When RCB beat Punjab in their 2nd face-off, while they lost in the 1st match. Many cricket experts raised concerns about it. The Virat Kohli Celebration was not offensive. The answer is it was.
So, did Digvesh fine just because of being the uncapped player, or is Virat Kohli already bigger than the BCCI? These kinds of incidents questioned the IPL, and over time, we have seen similar things in every season.
But now, BCCI should consider it, as this has already damaged the IPL’s image on a global level. And if these kinds of incidents continued, it would be difficult for IPL as they are already facing Novelty.
