The proposal to move the Indian Premier League out of the country in 2017 for its 10th edition is mere loud thinking by the BCCI at the moment. It could, however, be a game changer as the cash-rich league is reeling right now from severe body blows as well as image hits in India. On one side, the governance of cricket has come under fire like never before, as indicated in the sweeping reforms proposed by the Justice Lodha Committee comprising three Supreme Court judges, which might leave it struggling, to keep body and soul together. And, on the other, the league is being hit by negative public perception as the summer of 2016 has reduced nearly half the country to a drought zone where drops of water are as precious as an IPL cricketer’s salary.
The IPL has been held outside India before, twice, and both summers were marked by Lok Sabha elections. The mix of international players makes IPL such a global brand that it can find venues abroad, and supporters too. The shift might make sense if the game is to spread wings, besides satisfying the captive audience at home though it is played in different time zones in other host countries. The threat of a big hit to the Indian economy as the IPL uses air travel and the hospitality sector in a big way, besides gate collections and other goods and services used, is not so much to be feared by an economy of this size. If cricket needs to save the image of its premier league as well as preserve its finances, it may as well seek wider pastures.
