IPL auction brings peril to Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

The Indian Premier League put its foot down on the market eleven years ago and since then it has flourished like no other business. The cash-rich league can make or break careers.

Either it will do wonders for you and put you in the limelight or will take you out of the spotlight and put you in a place that attracts zero visitors. The times have been merrier for the franchises as years have progressed, the aspect of money has increased day after day and we have reached a stage where television networks are ready to pay over a million rupees per over for the broadcasting rights. I can still remember the time when the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) paid money to the DD network for every match they would telecast.

With all that is going around, how can players abstain from thinking? The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was rescheduled in order to help the players to get recognized but that has done very little for them. The players had an opportunity to showcase their talent right before the player auction which is to be held on 27 and 28 January at Bangalore.

The thought of being selfless while playing a team sport is fading away like classical musicians in the era of pop stars. The anxiety is in the air and the auctions are on every player's mind. Will my former franchise pick me again? A captain who normally bats at number four for his state team has promoted himself to number three, he has five bowlers in the team and each one of them is bowling wonderfully, yet he impetuously decides to bring himself on.

A batsman who is slotted to bat at number six is getting worked up delivery after delivery as the top order batsman are getting along easily. The top order batsmen are reluctant to go for the biggies even after sixteen overs have ended. They need to get their statistics on top because their fate will be decided on the basis of these four matches. Nineteen overs have been bowled, the team has lost four wickets and the number six is slotted to come in but the team management decides to promote the hitter as the team needs to score quickly in the final over.

The number six batsman knows that he has no chance of getting picked in the auction despite scoring tons of runs in the four-day domestic competition. Batsmen are unhappy about the SG balls being used because they think that the Kookaburra ball is used in the Indian Premier League and they should use it. The ball is hard like marble and does not travel the distance said a player and a player who had been retained scored a 32-ball hundred with the same ball that does not travel.

The team is put aside and the focus is on the long-term planning. A left-arm spinner does not get a single over because two left-handed batsmen are batting, so how does he impress the men sitting on the sidelines? There is an abrupt urge among all players, an urge to go out and showcase their talent. The thought is absurd but realistic.

With all the realism surrounding them, the players are putting their hearts out not for the team but for themselves. A cricket frenzy nation is eager to see the next big names in Indian cricket and the Indian Premier League is an integral part to get to the national level. For the spirit of the sport, the players should still look to find their happiness with the team's happiness.