why ipl format, in its current form, is okay...

shared by straight point on Tuesday, April 27, 2010

even before mumbai indians lost the final of ipl season three... there were talks that ipl should change the format and there should be best of three finals to judge who was the better side...

i never liked this idea...

going by same logic... what about the other two semifinalists who gets knocked out of tournament on the basis of just one bad outing...? do they play thrice with each other to decide who the finalist will be...?

if we revise the format to say the two top teams of the league stage will play three finals to decide which one is better... then it will also mean that most of the team will not fight till end knowing their fate well in advance that they can not be the top two teams... turning many matches into glorified exhibition matches...

the beauty about the existing format is that it warms up as the matches goes by and in the end it becomes really intense coz not many teams can say for sure that they will be the top four teams of the league... so the race is always on to find a place in top four somehow and then wait for other results...

this also keeps the interest of fans going who not only follow the matches their teams playing but also the results of other teams with equal interest if not more... making almost every match meaningful at later stage of the tournament...

it is also not rocket science that probability, hence intensity, will be much more to find a place in top four than say top two teams...

another argument is it is not fair on team who wins almost everything at league stage and then gets knocked out for one bad outing... but when sports (or life) is about being fair...?

just one tweet and two of the most promising people's reputation gets slaughtered by media trials sighting 'sources' though its another matter that these 'sources' goes on vacation as soon as the 'deed' is done... to sight you most recent example...

besides... the promise of unknown is good for any competition... the probability of sudden death keeps the buzz going... knowing you are not going to get second chance... it makes the semifinals and final a breath taking spectacle coz it is a do or die...

finally... if it gives a chance to team like chennai, who were on the verge of packing their bags to home at more than one occasion during league stage of the tournament, to become champion or dream to become champion... then why not...?

11 comments:

Soulberry said...

I'm looking at it next year if IPL 4 does happen and with the projected 10 teams.

At this stage I must briefly divert to say that Kochi without investigation and other accused teams without investigation will rob IPL of remaining credibility. There are men on the other side alleged to be involved in opaque situations too.

That said, if 10 clean teams play then it becomes too long.

To provide value to every match if we have to have one-to-one matches against all, I'd rather do away with finals and 3-4 playoff and go by league standings at the end of it...the topper is the winner.

straight point said...

credibility... proper... investigation... are very subjective words sb!

at the end how junta like you and me perceives it forms the credibility... that is where ipl4 will be very crucial for leagues existence...

coming to the format though... the basic principal adopted is team play home and away... and also for commercial reasons... so i don't think somehow they wud want to shorten it...

Mahek said...

I am okay with the current format but don't mind them scrapping the whole knockout stage. 10 teams play each other home and away and the table toppers become champions. The problem with it is unlike other leagues you don't have simultaneous games in the IPL so there could be a situation in which the winner is decided two days before the league is over. The schedule is too bloated to end the whole thing with a best of three finals.

straight point said...

exactly mahek...

what will be the interest in the league if we know who will going to be the champion like mumbai were clearly at the top well in advance at league stage...?

Anil Singh said...

@soulberry and @Mahek________I think the table topper becoming the winner will kill all excitement. I think the current format is good, only that in the league stages, unlike now, when each team is playing other team two times, that can be made one game per team. That way in 2011, the number of matches per team at league stages will go down to 9 instead of 18.

straight point said...

anil...

9 matches per side shortens ipl, the carnival that it is, incredibly so i don't think that will ever be the option... :)

Anil Singh said...

@Straightpoints___________i forgot to mention that; but making 18 matches will prolong it.

Business sense also backs your reason. so I agree my thought was not very feasible.

imemyself said...

knock out matches brings in additional level of skills than league matches.
One thing can be done is S/F and finals can be shifted to neutral venues which will give equal chances for both the teams unlike what we have seen in this years IPL. They prepared 2 different pitches for S/F which will not happen if it happens in neutral grounds.
Rgding next year, IPL will happen but the TRPs and spectator numbers will take a beating as there will be 2 or 3 matches in week days. And people will in all probability will be polarised to watch only their teams matches.

Kanda

straight point said...

good points kanda...

but how will they decide in advance where SF and finals will be played... and notifying it after leage stages based on which team will come will be too hectic in terms of logistics as well as security point of view...

tho i agree with you on polarity of fans if there will be 2/3 matches the fans will only see the match of the team they follow for it will be too much of a show... but then in upcoming T20 wc the same thing is going to happen and no body is saying anything about it... :)

imemyself said...

we have seen in this year itself how they moved the matches from bangalore to mumbai within couple of days. But even if they feel it is not humanely possible atleast they can take out the pitch preparation from the host teams hand. This can done to minimise the advantage the host team will have.

Rgding the other point, yeah for sure u or me are not going to see all countries match. But there is a great chance for you to see your favourite team other than india as the competition duration is very short.
The last ODI WC was a big failure because of too long a league stage and the ouster of India and Pak.

straight point said...

The last ODI WC was a big failure because of too long a league stage and the ouster of India and Pak.

i wud go with later part of yours... :)

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