The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to get underway with a mouthwatering clash between the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday (March 22). Just like every season, there is immense euphoria and buzz among the fans as the T20 extravaganza returns for its 17th edition.
The season opener between two top-rated teams is anticipated to lure a capacity crowd in at the Chepauk and billions of people around the world are also expected to catch the live action on TV and across several OTT platforms.
While the overwhelming success of the IPL has brought plenty of moolah BCCI's way over the years, the same success has also gradually started causing headaches to the apex cricket governing body in the country.
Due to its sheer potential to transform lives economically overnight, the cash-rich league has emerged as a temptation which attracts the capped and the uncapped Indian players alike.
However, the same life-changing element of the IPL is gradually devitalizing the other Indian domestic tournaments and their ability to flourish within the ecosystem mutually.
Pay disparity
The gulf between the pay offered to a player playing for an IPL franchise and to those sweating it out in the scorching heat of the sun in the Ranji Trophy is staggering and that is a massive reason behind the reluctance of players in signing up for the hard grind that India's 90-year-old tournament brings with itself.
A player playing in the Ranji Trophy gets paid a minimum of INR 40000 whereas the least someone gets paid for being with an IPL franchise for an entire season is INR 20 lakh.
Therefore, while the uncapped Indian players continue to toil in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournaments which don't quite have the razzmatazz like the IPL, the top-drawer India cricketers assured of an IPL contract abstain from plying their trade in the less incentivising tournaments (monetarily).
Lack of visionary policies
The BCCI has always maintained a stringent stance in regards to not allowing its players to prioritise foreign T20 leagues over tournaments in India to protect and foster the interests of Indian cricket.
But it is yet to devise a policy to ensure that the capped Indian players continue to rub shoulders with the budding talent in tournaments like the Irani Trophy, and Deodhar Trophy with the same vigour as they do in the IPL.
The lack of such a policy has deprived Indian cricket fans of seeing a captivating battle between a household India cricketer and a rookie with plenty of promise and flair - something that was a common sight in the pre-IPL era.
Though the BCCI is not oblivious to the ailment that has started to rear its head and is gradually gripping the Ranji Trophy among other tournaments, it needs to come up with ground-breaking reformations to nip it in the bud rather than letting it turn contagious.
