SUMMARY: In the history of Cricket sports, the Indian Premier League has been proven to be the most established league worldwide. This was after the BCCI was hesitant to accept the T20 gaming format. However, the victory during the inaugural edition of the T20 2007 world Cup, the Indian team made it possible for the growth and establishment of the league.
Cricket has evolved from being just a sport to being the most enjoyed tournament for entertainment. The fame picked up right from the beginning when the first season was played in 2008. The India Premier League, to be precise, has provided its players with a platform to be able to play against and with the most reliable and loyal of the game. Some renowned players have been made famous and signed to bigger teams after their impressive performance in the Indian Premier League. Over the years, IPL has introduced different innovations to help improve the game. Below are the five most innovative ideas to make the game enjoyable.
Award for the Bowler with most dots
The T20 matches are organized in a way that the batsmen are the main attractions. Bowlers have managed to arrange their niche due to their different skill variations. Bowlers may significantly contribute to the game, but they are usually not given the appropriate attention they deserve like batters. During the Indian Premier League, they are given awards like a player with the highest batting strike rate, innovative moments, a great catch, maximum sixes, and many others.
All these awards are focused only on the batsmen but none on the bowlers. Therefore, it is only logical and fair to introduce another prize dedicated to the bowler with the highest dots in a particular match. The reward can extend to the bowler with the best economy rate in the game.
Back-to-back overs for a bowler
During the T20 matches, different bowlers have a different skill set to offer the team, making them effective in different phases. No matter how effective a bowler may be, they cannot bowl more than the quota of four overs. On the other hand, the batsmen can strike and have maximum bat deliveries. Therefore, introducing the overs for the bowlers is an outstanding achievement. According to the IPL latest news, there can be a rule where a bowler is given a chance to bowl two overs back-to-back.
Batting Powerplay
The current rule governing Powerplay is very monotonous, making the teams more cautious not to lose many wickets in the match’s early stages. To make the Indian Premier League and the cricket fantasy league more interesting, the rule of Powerplay can be tweaked a bit. To achieve this, the 6 overs of Powerplay can be divided into 2 phases: two overs of batting Powerplay and 4 overs of compulsory Powerplay.
To stimulate the game, the batting team can be given a chance to select any two-over; this is after the fourth overplayed as the batting Powerplay. The rule would be similar to the one used in the ODI but without restrictions of over number, up to which Powerplay can be made. This rule would give the batting side a chance to get the maximum advantage of fielding instructions.
Super Sub
The player substitution was introduced in 2005 by the ICC, the player playing XI would be substituted by the 12th player, popularly known as the Super Sub. The idea seemed to work for some time but was later discontinued due to some unfortunate drawbacks. The most remembered drawback was that the teams looking to substitute a player were expected to nominate their Super Sub before the coin toss, which was always in favor of the side winning the coin toss.
Adding the rule in the IPL can make the matches more fun, but a few adjustments must be made. For example, the playing teams can choose their two Super Sub players after tossing among the 13 players, among other adjustments.
Strategic Retirement of a Batsman
T20 format is moving up pretty fast, and the game’s complexion is also changing quickly, leaving the players to innovate and be proactive in their approaches. The batting team is always not as lucky as the bowling team as they cannot replace their batsman, struggling to keep going forward. On the other hand, the bowling team can have the upper hand as they can easily change their bowlers depending on the game’s situation.
To make the IPL more interesting, a new rule enabling the batting team to strategize the retirement of their batsman if they feel he is not delivering as expected should be introduced. The new rule will give the batting team a chance to retire one batsman each innings, and then the retired batsman can return to the game anytime the wicket falls. In addition, the new rule could also allow the power-hitter to bat in the field, after which he will retire and make his comeback in the slog phase of the match.
Conclusively, these innovations can attract many additional audiences, and they may ensure the teams’ success in the league. These ideas should be implemented to keep the fans’ mindset in consideration as they all want a thrilling game between the teams. The fans have gotten bored watching the same game format for years since 2008. It is about time to give them something new to cheer on and celebrate.