By IANS,
New York : The multi-million-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) is trying to spin off India’s colonial inheritance – cricket – into a money-making symbol of a brash, emerging nation, says the New York Times.
“It is coming of age for both the business of sports in India and for Indian billionaires, who for the first time are staking their prestige on sports teams,” the newspaper said in a detailed story Wednesday.
It cites how the rich and famous like industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Mallya and film star Shah Rukh Khan own league franchises running into millions of dollars and salaries of players are comparable to the English Premier League of soccer.
The report takes note of the league upturning many conventions of an erstwhile gentleman’s game by infusing American-style cheerleaders, Bollywood stars and laser shows.
“It is cricket’s version of tabloid journalism,” the story quotes Rajdeep Sardesai, editor-in-chief of CNN-IBN and son of late Dilip Sardesai who played cricket for India.