Facts about IPL and SLPL

What is SLPL?

Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) seemed to be the next stop for the Twenty20 cricket lovers. It was about to happen. This cricket tournament was scheduled to be played for the first time this year, 2011. It was supposed to start on 19^th July and end on 4^th August. SLPL is a domestic cricket tournament of Sri Lanka in the Twenty20 league format. The SLPL had started few years back but then it did not include international players. It is better to say that SLPL which was scheduled for July, 2011 planned to go global as it included international cricketers. Alas! The things have changed dramatically. From July, 2011 the SLPL has got postponed by one year till August, 2012.

Reasons behind Postponement

Due to various controversies Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) earlier known as Board for Cricket Control in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) has decided to defer the SLPL, the Twenty20 cricket tournament for one year. Controversies are:

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has accused that SLPL is in the hands of a private group and not controlled by the official cricket board of Sri Lanka.

Even BCCI is of the opinion that Mr. Lalit Modi, the tainted ex IPL chief has an association with the private group named Somerset Entertainment, Singapore which has got the right to run the tournament in Sri Lanka. Due to all these controversies BCCI withheld the no objection certificate of the cricketers of India.

Another twist in the tale is the Sports Ministry of Sri Lanka in the midst of various burning controversies dissolved the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Thus, the matter is quite complicated now. The Sri Lanka government has appointed a new board and an elected board will be set up later.

This year SLPL will continue with its old format. It will be played with five teams and no international cricketers will be in the squad.

IPL and SLPL

India the neighbouring country of Sri Lanka started its own Twenty20 cricket tournament named IPL in 2008 with a great success. In 2011 it has completed the fourth season of IPL but the format of the tournament has undergone a few changes and these changes are reserved for the next three years.

As we know, Sri Lanka and India are neighbouring countries. Both the countries are cricket lovers too. India has started a cricket tournament in Twenty20 format named IPL in 2008 and similarly SLPL, a cricket tournament in Twenty20 format of Sri Lanka is in a process to commence. Now, it is decided that in place of 2011 it will commence in 2012. Though, there are distinct similarities between the two cricketing countries, India and Sri Lanka, there are striking dissimilarities between the IPL of India and the SLPL of Sri Lanka. The dissimilarities are not only in the format of the matches to be played but in the selection pattern as well and so on. As I have mentioned earlier that IPL 2011 has made some changes but then too SLPL has hardly any similarities with IPL. It also not holds true that SLPL has many similarities with the first three seasons of IPL which began in 2008.

Basic similarities between IPL and SLPL

Well, if I prefer to stick to the notion that SLPL has no similarities with IPL then it will not be entirely true. Similarities regarding the format of the tournament are countable but there is a great similarity in the mega cricket event as a whole. You can easily understand why I stress on the fact that SLPL in Sri Lanka and IPL in India have loads of similarities as a mega cricket tournament. Just click to IPL, a Cricket Profession and its Advantages and it will let you know the advantages of IPL. In the near future it seems SLPL will definitely prove to be advantageous as IPL. Be it in terms of the promotion of cricket in the Twenty20 format, employment to the budding cricketers or veterans, global friendship, healthy cricket competition and in spreading positive environment. IPL has already tasted global success. It has made a special place in the hearts of the unlimited cricket lovers around the world. Let us hope SLPL will meet the same fate as the international cricketers being roped in.

Dissimilarities between IPL and SLPL

1. IPL is completely managed by BCCI while SLPL is the brain child of the Sri Lanka Cricket but it will be run by the Singapore based Somerset Entertainment. It has bought the rights for five years.

2. In IPL each team has an owner. These owners are the franchise of the team who heads the management of the particular team but still some controlling power vest in the hands of the BCCI. Some hard guidelines are laid down by the BCCI for the franchises to abide by. The franchises cannot overstep the rules fixed by the BCCI. Though SLPL is also a Twenty20 cricket tournament, it has no owners. I mean no franchise. The team is managed by the Sri Lanka Cricket.

3. In 2008 when IPL cricket tournament started there were 8 teams. In 2011, the fourth season of IPL added two more teams and now it has 10 teams in all. The number of teams is also among one of the dissimilarities. Here too, SLPL has a difference. It consists of only 7 teams. SLPL is neither similar to the number of teams in 2008, IPL nor with the 2011, IPL. In 2008 when IPL started it turned out to be global from the very first season but SLPL was first tested on domestic level. Now it has decided to include international players and make the Twenty20 cricket tournament of Sri Lanka a great global success.

One minor similarity is here regarding teams of IPL and SLPL. In 2008, IPL started with 8 teams as participants and later in 2011 it added 2 more teams. SLPL on the domestic level had 5 teams but expected to commence as a global affair with an addition of 2 more teams. It takes the total number of teams to 7 in SLPL. Similarity is not in the total number of teams but in making the cricketing spectrum wider by 2 more teams.

4. If the names of the 10 teams of IPL are considered we find that the teams by name are either representing a whole state or a city only. Take for example Rajasthan Royals representing the whole Rajasthan state but Chennai Super Kings by name does not represent the state Tamil Nadu but its capital city, Chennai. It is similar with some other teams too and the home matches are usually held at one particular city. IPL team can therefore be termed as city based teams but SLPL has divided its 7 teams according to the provinces of Sri Lanka and named accordingly. A province based team of SLPL is expected to attract much more people.

5. In IPL, all the 10 teams are divided into two groups with 5 teams in each. In total, each team will play 14 matches. The break up is that each team will play twice with the other 4 teams of their own group, twice with one team of the other group and once with the remaining four teams of the other group. Which of the teams will play once or twice that will be decided by a random draw. In SLPL, all the 7 teams will play once with each other.

6. The size of the squad is 30 in IPL whereas in SLPL the squad size is of 16 to 18 cricketers.

7. 10 overseas cricketers are allowed in the squad of each IPL team. Among which only 4 can play at a time. There is a rule that minimum 8 local cricketers must be included along with 2 cricketers from the under 22 pool of BCCI for each squad. In SLPL, minimum of 7 Sri Lankan players, maximum of 4/5 international players along with 1 under 22 Sri Lankan player.

From 2008, the first season to the third season of IPL in 2010 had an icon player in each team. 2011, the fourth season of IPL had no icons but SLPL will have an icon for each team.

8. IPL teams are either headed by an international cricketer or an Indian great but SLPL opts for 6 national captains and a former Sri Lanka vice captain. Same is the case with the mentor/coach.

9. Players are selected through auction in IPL but SLC will select the cricketers for SLPL.

10.Venues in IPL are many as the teams play at home and away but SLPL has only one venue, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.

11.After the league matches three face off matches are played. The winners of it become the IPL finalists but in SLPL top four teams clash for the semifinals and their winners play the finals.

IPL and SLPL have a great similarity at the end amid lots of dissimilarities. The winners of both these tournaments will participate in Champions League T20. Both IPL and SLPL are Twenyt20 format tournament but we have noticed that they have lots of differences. Now, it will be great to watch that SLPL will attain the same level of success which IPL attains. Let us see what happens!