The death of sport?
The IPL has changed the rules of sport, writes Santosh Desai in the Times of India
Akhila Ranganna
25-Feb-2013
The IPL has changed the rules of sport, writes Santosh Desai in the Times of India. It is time to acknowledge that something extremely significant is happening in India. Perhaps it is time to look at the IPL not merely as the future of cricket but to ask if it points to the future of sport itself.
The battle between these two competing visions of the future of sport is being played out right here in India. If the IPL succeeds in its present form, it will challenge not just other formats of cricket, but the very idea of sport. Consider it, for what it is worth, as India's gift to the world.
In the same newspaper, Samidha Sharma looks at the marketing battle that is set to unfold during what is being touted as the biggest cricketing season of all time.
Rohit Mahajan in the Outlook magazine writes that in the IPL auction, rules faded before the Greenback.
Obviously, those who have become millionaires overnight are not complaining. Take Tiwary, for instance. He’s relaxed, says his goal is to play well—and play for India. Does he need protection from the deleterious effects of big money? His manager, Nishant Dayal, says, “It’s not about money—it’s about how much he was wanted by teams. My role is to make sure that he keeps his eye on his goal, of playing for India for a long time.” For one Tiwary, there are dozen others, unknown and unsung, who are complaining of having got a raw deal, of having been reduced to becoming the bonded labour of the IPL bazaar
Akhila Ranganna is assistant editor (Audio) at ESPNcricinfo