What has IPL given to Indian Cricketer-Only Cash or anything else?

With the announcement of the players list for the auction the Indian Premier League, or IPL as it is popularly known as, is back in news. This year a total of 514 players will go under the hammer to have a contention to play in this T20 bonanza. What has changed in IPL-7 is that this year the domestic uncapped players i.e. who haven’t played for any national side will also be auctioned. This raises a critical question for us that is IPL doing anything good for Indian cricketers except for making them rich. If we take a look back at the journey of IPL, it started as reaction to the rebellious Indian Cricket League led by Kapil Dev but seeing the profits it generated in the first season BCCI understood the cash churner it can be. The first season saw emergence of Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, and Pragyan Ojha and was career reviving for the likes of Suresh Raina and Amit Mishra. The IPL has been the mine of cricketing talent in these years and we have seen a number of quality players emerge from IPL who are now the mainstay in the team like R.Ashwin, Vinay Kumar, S.Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja etc. It does not mean that it is only IPL’s performance which got them the blue jersey. Surely performance in domestic circles was the major reason but still it has been a great platform for these players to portray their talent. This cash rich tournament has given the domestic players a chance to earn a good amount to support their livelihood. It has enabled them to focus more on their game, get the best possible medical facilities and get a secure career. Many times we have seen that great talent succumbs to economic pressures but IPL has given the players a chance to stop thinking about the money. It is said by many that players have been running after money but to counter that argument, it was always so, the difference being that earlier they used to play for getting a job through sports quota. The IPL has made them to play and earn rather than play to earn. The talent pool which India has created has been a reason for the success which Indian team has achieved after 2007 can be accredited to IPL. Not only has IPL brought in a lot of players, but it has also made them adept to the pressures of an international match which enables them to perform exceptionally in international cricket. Take example of Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli who turned all eyes towards them through their performance in international cricket. IPL surely did help them to have the confidence with which they approached international cricket. There have been criticism against IPL for making players too greedy and losing focus in the glare of this tournament, which has made us lose talented players like Sreesanth, Saurabh Tiwary. The same IPL which brought the Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan to the limelight is seen to be a reason which is ruining their career. But if we weigh all the effects that IPL has had it has been definitely been positive for Indian cricketers and let’s hope that it continues to be a talent generator and an entertainer for which it has been known for.