The players involved with the Indian Premier League might be reaping the fruits of two successful seasons of the action-packed league and the frills that come with it, but they have one man to thank for it. No, it’s not Lalit Modi but the Haryana Hurricane, Kapil Dev who was, in a way, instrumental in the formation of the IPL. When Zee boss, Subhash Chandra decided to form a rebel league (ICL) Kapil stood by him, sending jitters through the rank and file of the most powerful cricket board in the world. The BCCI reacted by labelling him a rebel and alienating any player, past or present, associated with the breakaway league. Within a few days, the ‘Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century’ and India’s only World Cup winning captain (ODIs) turned into a villain. Though Kapil’s league may have lost out to a cash-rich board-backed IPL but it was he who actually ignited the idea of league cricket in India.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
