IPL 2024 Auction: "IPL Is Best Thing That Has Happened To Indian Cricket" - Gautam Gambhir

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir reckons the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the best thing to have happened to Indian cricket. According to Gambhir, it would have been the worst decision made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), if they had decided not to start the IPL.

The BCCI started the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 and the tournament has developed to become the most popular and most lucrative T20 cricket league in the cricketing world. Recently, in the mini-auction, Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins were sold for INR 24.75 crore and INR 20.50 crore respectively.

Recently, Gautam Gambhir was asked in an interaction with Sportkeeda, what if the BCCI never started the IPL? To which Gambhir replied, “I think it would have been the worst decision made by BCCI because IPL is the best thing that has happened to Indian cricket.”

Replying to a query on what he would have been had he not been a cricketer, the former opener revealed his aspirations to join the defense sector, saying, “I would have been in the Army.” Responding to another question on whether he would be willing to be the batting coach of the Indian cricket team, the 42-year-old stated that he hasn’t thought about it. “Too many things on my plate at the moment. I haven’t thought about it,” he said.

Gautam Gambhir was the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He has now been appointed as the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the upcoming IPL 2024. He led the Kolkata-based franchise to two titles in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

IPL Has Been A Boon For Young Indian Players Who Got A Stage To Showcase Their Skills

The Indian Premier League has been a boon for young players who want to showcase their talent on the big stage. The national team can only provide the opportunity to fifteen players at a time so the other budding cricketers didn’t use to have a stage where they could come into the limelight. The IPL gave these budding cricketers a stage where they could grab the headlines and showcase their talent.

Players like Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Rinku Singh, and Ishan Kishan, all came into the limelight after their terrific performances in the Indian Premier League which gave them the spotlight they needed to kickstart their international careers. Experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also benefitted a lot from IPL as they got their opportunity to lead a side.

The Indian Premier League has created a huge impact in the lives of all the budding cricketers as they get to showcase their talent and skills on a big stage. Not only Indian players, but some foreign players have also benefitted from the Indian Premier League including names like Jofra Arche and Tim David who got a national team contract after performing in the league. The IPL has been one of the important things to happen to Indian cricket in terms of nurturing young talents as well as generating revenue.