The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league, which was first established in 2008. The competition is based on a group stage that is followed by a knock-out format, with a one-off final deciding the overall winner. Since the first tournament in 2008, the IPL has gone from strength to strength and has firmly established itself as one of the most anticipated events in the cricket calendar.
The 2021 installation of the IPL is a hotly contested tournament, which again speaks to the interest and intensity of the event as a whole. The opening 29 matches of the tournament were played in April and May of 2021, with the remaining 31 matches scheduled to take place between September 19th and October 15th. It has already proved to be yet another incredible tournament, and you can keep up to date with all the latest goings-on of the 2021 event with Sportsadda and IPL news.
Firstly, the fact that the IPL has proved to be so popular around the world is no surprise since India is the most cricket obsessed nation in the world. The atmosphere there is always incredible and it is one of the best regions in the world to visit when it comes to all things cricket. Cricket in India is not simply treated as a sport or a pastime, but instead, it has earned the status of a religion.
Every Indian national team game brings the entire country together, and now, thanks to the IPL, there is an additional opportunity for Indians to unite every year in the name of cricket. While it could be said to be a surprise that India did not have an event of this kind before 2008, the country has made up for lost time and embraced it with open arms.
Furthermore, the organisers of the IPL must be given immense credit for how they have consistently improved the tournament over the years. The 2021 event, just like in 2020, will once again see no team having home advantage, as every game will be played at a neutral venue. When we compare this to other international competitions, whether in cricket or in any other sport for that matter, teams having home advantage in what is supposed to be a fair and balanced competition is often one of the criticisms levelled against it.
Based on the opening 29 matches of the 2021 competition, Delhi Capitals are currently in first position having won 6 out of their 8 opening games. Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore sit in 2nd and 3rd position respectively, with the reigning champions Mumbai Indians in 4th position with 4 wins from their opening 8 matches.
It is clear from the opening 29 matches that the competition could be won by any of a number of teams, once again illustrating the competitive nature of the IPL. It is rare that a new international competition catches the imagination of a sport’s fanbase so quickly, but despite only being in existence since 2008, the IPL looks set to have an incredibly bright future for years to come. With the 2021 final set to take place in Dubai in the wonderful Dubai International Cricket stadium, the stage is set for another memorable ending to a world class event.
The event has already had six different winners, so for those trying to predict who will be victorious in 2021, you can rest assured that it will prove to be a difficult task. While picking a winner is challenging, one thing we can say for sure is that the audience won’t be left disappointed.