And for a Friday after start of my favourite summer entertainment, IPL 2022, some thoughts….. some musings…..
The best take, we are back in India albeit with CAB. So, yes, only 25% spectators allowed in stadiums. Teams in bio-secure environment. No Air travel. All matches between Brabourne, Wankhede and DY Patil stadiums in Mumbai and MCA in Pune, which is just 3 hours drive. Formats modified to accommodate two new teams, Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans. Two groups of 5 teams each, seeded based on IPL wins and points scored. MI with 5 wins at 1st, CSK with 4 at 2nd and the two new teams with 0 points at the bottom. All scientific, professional, exacting and set for exciting two months of clean fun.
Cricket and films entertain Indians like nothing else and as a bonus, IPL is a great catalyst for the economy. The high tags at the auctions is just the starters. Ishan Kishen of MI 152.5 mn Rs, Deepak Chahar 140 mn and Hasaranga from Srilanka 107.5 mn. TV and OTT ensures Indians across continents, Australia to US and Dubai to Lagos, follow and enjoy the IPL. Media rights cost almost 4.35 Bn $s, big bucks for BCCI.
Let’s all enjoy these IPL evenings as “Stress busters” from all the terrible economic/social shocks around the Ukrainian crisis. Let’s relax, the sporting way, the spirited way, the SEEGOS way.