The Grand fall of Brand IPL

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The Grand fall of Brand IPL​

IPL began as Indian Premier League but in recent times a more apt title has been India’s pathetic league. There has been so much news flow, mostly negative on IPL that there are now question marks on whether there will be IPL-4 at all happening


The world’s richest cricket league, the Indian Premier League, has been in troubled waters this year. Controversies and IPL have been bed-fellows since the time the league came into existence, but in 2010, it just worsened and hot new lows and is threatening to put a black mark on the brand IPL.

From Lalit Modi’s ouster, straight after the final, to sword hanging over the Kochi franchise, IPL has churned out one bad news after another. Money matters a lot, and in India, especially in cricket, it matters more than anything else. Once the cricket got over, the mud-slinging fest began in earnest.

At the one end of the rope was Lalit Modi, the brain behind the IPL, and at the other end were the power-mongers. BCCI, under the garb of a saint, promised a purge, a scam-free IPL. Led by their President Shashank Manohar, who was the very antithesis of the brash and bold image that Lalit Modi proudly flaunted, the war bugle, was sounded.

Suddenly, from an IPL czar, Modi found himself as the most hated person in the country. The man who started it all was being blamed for the all the muck that lay underneath the superficial glitz and glamour of the league. Every day, ‘Modi-gate’ was splashed around the newspapers and broadcast bulletins across the nation. India’s latest whipping boy had been caught with dollar in his eyes, and the country would not ‘spare’ such dishonesty. And so, the custodians of honesty in cricket, the Board for Control of Cricket in India, aptly named, did their ‘control’ part.

A disciplinary panel was formed, to which Modi took an immediate disliking. And, he continued to abscond from its hearings and rather rely only on the tweets. He filed petitions to quash all the charges of corruption framed by the BCCI against him; the High Court quashed them all. He requested the High Court to alter the members of the disciplinary panel, they rejected his plea. While Modi was braving the entire storm the BCCI, the governing body of cricket in India was a having a few headaches of its own.

Poll

Do you think IPL-4 auctions and tournament will be further delayed?

A. Yes. With Rajasthan Royals’ case taking a new twist, there is no way auctions can take place in January.

B. No. BCCI will have its own way and ensure things will be on time. After all, millions of dollars are involved


Kochi franchise’s foray into the IPL club was marked with infighting in the IPL ranks and the ultimate ouster of Lalit Modi. But, Modi was not the only debacle in a war which was first started on twitter, and then shifted into the boardrooms.

But Tharoor and Modi’s exit were not the only troubles that Kochi managed to deliver. Months after arranging a successful bid, the group of companies backing the franchise failed to come up with a definite pattern of stake-holding. Irregular shareholding had already claimed Modi’s friends-Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. The ‘charitable’ BCCI gave Kochi a 30-day notice to clean up its house. The deadlock though, continues to find ground in the Kochi camp. The BCCI is set to give the final verdict on December 5. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals have dealt another blow to BCCI, with the Bombay High Court ordering a stay on their expulsion form.

The math between Modi’s exit and the Kochi dilemma, has worked out against the IPL brand. Experts in the advertising industry believe that the controversies that have rocked IPL this year are taking a toll on the brand value of the league. But the dent is solely in the image of the brand and is not poised in any way to affect the value of the league in financial terms.

Brand expert, Krishna Kumar says, “Brands who have entered in long term deals with IPL will stay and not pull out their money, but some advertisers may keep a cautious outlook to all the rumblings that have happened in the IPL this year.”

Kumar further added, “Its not the Modi fiasco which will hurt IPL much, but things like almost wiping out three IPL teams this year, would affect the fan following and thus the image of the brand IPL.”

So, whatever the feeling might be at this point of time, once top stars set their foot on the field, all the tangles would be flushed down the gutters. Once Sachin Tendulkar flourishes on the crease, once Dirk Nannes draws first blood for his team, once AB de Villiers pulls off a stunning catch; Modi exit, Kochi fiasco would be forgotten as easily as if it never happened. In the end, the game of cricket would come to the rescue of the controversy-hit league.

Poll

Do you think IPL-4 auctions and tournament will be further delayed?

A. Yes. With Rajasthan Royals’ case taking a new twist, there is no way auctions can take place in January.

B. No. BCCI will have its own way and ensure things will be on time. After all, millions of dollars are involved


IPL Turmoil Timeline

April 25: IPL-3 comes to an end

April 25: IPL Chief Lalit Modi handed a suspension notice by BCCI.

April 26: Chirayu Amin named IPL interim chairman

May 6: Giles Clarke accuses Modi of starting a parallel IPL in English cricket

May 13: Kochi franchise complains to BCCI about Lalit Modi’s attempts to discourage them from the bidding process for new teams in IPL-4.

May 17: Indian board officials meet IPL broadcaster IMG.

May 26: Modi wants an independent panel to hear his case

June 4: Sharad Pawar claims innocence in being involved in any way with IPL bids.

June 22: BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan says that Modi’s replies on notice are ‘unacceptable.’

June 25: MSM asked to pay Rs 425 crore facilitation fee to the BCCI.

June 30: BCCI cancels IPL rights deal with World Sports Group.

June 30: WSG hits out at BCCI for improper payment

July 15: Indian Revenue Departments say there is no difference between BCCI and IPL.

July 15: Bombay High Court rules against Lalit Modi’s petition to smother all the BCCI charges framed on him.

Sept 20: Bombay High Court rejects Modi’s petition for recusal of Chirayu Amin and Arun Jaitely from the discplinary committee investigating charges against him.

Oct 1: Sunil Gavaskar refuses to take up IPL Governing Council role

Oct 10: BCCI scraps Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals

Oct 13: BCCI files police complaint against Lalit Modi for misappropriation of board’s funds.

Oct 27: Kochi gets termination notice

Nov 2: Sunil Gavaskar defends his alleged links with Kochi franchise

Nov 30: Bombay HC stays Rajasthan Royals suspension from IPL

December, January, February.......... God knows what’s in store!