New Delhi: India have lost both matches they played so far in the T20 World Cup 2021. In the first match, they lost against Pakistan and then against New Zealand. Following these losses, India’s chances of making it out of the group stage are very slim. What led to the downfall of a team that looked so strong on paper in this tournament?
Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on Monday (November 1) discussed the reasons behind the poor performance of the Indian team. He explained how the cricketers are entangled in the web of advertisements which has cost them their focus towards the game.
One reason for India’s poor performance is IPL fatigue. The final of the IPL was played on October 15, two days before the start of the T20 World Cup. The players did not get time to mentally prepare for the tournament.
The bio-bubble left the players tired. In yesterday's press conference, Jasprit Bumrah said that due to the bio bubble, the mental health of the team has been affected a lot. However, these bio bubbles do apply only to Indian players. Players of other teams have to follow similar rules and they are still doing well.
One of the main reasons for Indian team’s current plight is the commercialisation of cricket. In 2020, there were about 370 advertisements deals with players of different sports in India, out of which cricketers got 275 deals. At present, India's sports industry is worth Rs 6000 crore, in which the share of cricket is 87 percent i.e. Rs 5200 crore. 11 players come on the field in every match. By this account, the average share of every cricket player in this advertising market is Rs 470 crores.
It may come as a surprise that in 2020, companies had to spend Rs 12.5 lakh to broadcast 10-second advertisements during IPL matches.
Indian players have become money-making machines for media companies and BCCI. During the match yesterday, watching the advertisements during the break, it seemed that our players are focusing less on the field and are more involved in acting in advertisements.
The online betting market on cricket in India is about Rs 22,000 crore. On average, 14 crore people make their teams on various apps and invest money in them. During the IPL, this number increases to 37 crore. According to a report, the market of illegal betting on cricket is worth around Rs 9 lakh crore. Combining legal and illegal dealings, India's cricket market is worth Rs 10 to 15 lakh crore.
There are about 140 countries in the world whose total GDP is less than this. It gives an idea that although our players are well-paid they are not in a position to be called “well played”.
It seems that our players have fallen for the illusion that the show would last forever. In the midst of all the glamour, cricket has become more of a TV reality show than a game and the players have become money-making machines. Perhaps this is why our players have seemed loose in the tournament, like tired soldiers.
The solution to this problem is to treat cricket like a sport and not make it a money-making industry. The excessive commercialization of the game should be checked.
