IPL has become newsworthy now

IPL commissioner Rajeev Shukla came up with a gem at the fifth season’s opening night: “If the beginning is like this you can understand how the tournament will go."

Now he knows…

In the last week, the IPL has been hit by scandals and controversy, so much so that even Chris Gayle’s superb 128 with 13 sixes had to take a back seat to brand of ’entertainment’ that the IPL seems to have made it’s own.

It started off with the spot-fixing scandal, but the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council ensured that things didn’t get out of hand but deferring a decision on the matter to a date after the IPL final.

But then the Shah Rukh Khan-MCA officials brawl after the Kolkata Knight Riders -Mumbai Indians match at the Wankhede stadium a couple of nights back saw the situation spiral out of control. It ended with the MCA recommending a 5-year ban on the star.

“I think a five-year ban is harsh simply because no one was injured or harmed. Shah Rukh did allege that one of the children were man-handled but he didn’t file a report either,” said Ayaz Memon. “In hindsight, such an incident could have been avoided completely.”

“However, the core of the issue is why such a thing should happen. It happens because there is complete ambiguity as to what an owner is allowed to do and what he can’t. In certain stadiums, owners are allowed on to the ground. Here they apparently are not. This tarnishes the image of the IPL.

“Shah Rukh will now wonder why he went to the stadium at all. He didn’t even watch the game,” Ayaz further added.

Indeed, Sidhartha Mallya may also wonder why he vented on Twitter in support of Luke Pomersbach. The latter is an RCB player who was accused of molesting an American citizen on Thursday night in a Delhi hotel.

The sad bit of the entire controversy is that cricket is being side-lined. Chris Gayle’s wonderful 128 including 13 sixes stands forgotten, as do Chennai’s troubles.

“The thing about Gayle is that he is from another planet. And now that he tries to hang around before hitting the leather off the ball means that he is even more dangerous,” Ayaz added.

As things stand, the IPL is a tournament that is going through some very exciting times. For good or for bad, that makes it newsworthy.