5 reasons why CPL can match up to IPL

Tropical climate, a crisp format and raw talent. If we hadn’t heard of the T20 format before then these elements would surely seem to fit in the definition of how the game was meant to be played.

The Caribbean Premier League is in no way as big as the IPL or even the BBL but it’s certainly giving these big leagues some competition when it comes to entertainment and the quality of cricket on display. Commercial success aside, the CPL since its inception has focussed on delivering great value to its fans and that is why it now attracts global talent to its shores. From its humble beginnings in 2013, the league has grown from strength to strength in the last five years and made its presence felt all around the world.

There’s still a long way to go before the CPL can give some serious competition to the IPL but here are five reasons we think that the CPL is a worthy competitor and can, in fact, match up to the IPL's commercial and mass success.

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#5 Fewer teams, crisper format

The CPL tournament format is unusual, to say the least. We know CPL is a territory based league and not a city based league and therefore all the six teams are stationed at a single location for four to six sequential matches. Once the tournament is done and dusted, the caravan moves to the next location for the next set of matches. Every team plays a total of 10 crisp games in the group stage to decide the semi final spots.

Since it’s a small league with just six teams, the group stage doesn’t seem bloated and thereby keeps the fans engaged throughout. Also, since all the teams play at the same location within a specific period of time, the travel time between cities is almost cut by a third. This, in turn, helps the players to recuperate and gives the fans a chance to interact with their stars in each cycle.

#4 Diverse talent, even from Pakistan

Many players including Powell have made their mark in the CPL

One thing that the CPL is doing better than the IPL, year after year, is attracting new and fresh talent from around the world. While IPL is heavily loaded with international stars, the focus is always on the Indian talent, be it in the auction or on the field. The CPL, therefore, has become a hub for breakout stars, be it Tabraiz Shamsi or Chadwick Walton or even Rovman Powell, dubbed as the new Andre Russell.

With so many fresh faces surfacing from this league, it’s safe to say that the tournament is moving from strength to strength and has a good future ahead.

#3 Florida games – the international connect

A few CPL games are held in the US every year, adding to the appeal

Unlike the IPL, the CPL stages four games outside the island nations, in Florida at Fort Lauderdale. Fans from New York and even Canada travel to Fort Lauderdale to witness the biggest party in town. The audience attendance has always been satisfactory in Florida, thanks to the thriving Jamaican expat community around the area. These four games, therefore, give the tournament a truly international feel and also open up new revenue streams for the organisers.

With more and more fans taking up the sport, it is not so futuristic to think that the next wave of talent will come from unconventional territories, and tournaments such as the CPL can prove to be the catalyst for the same.

#2 The West Indian touch

The CPL is a crowd puller

More than the talent, the stars, the format or the competition, the CPL is garnering rave reviews for one particular element – it’s the Caribbean after-taste. The shortest format of the game is more about entertainment than anything else and nothing describes the island nations better than reggae and some Jamaican Rum Punch in the stands.

This is a welcome change from the Indian league where, let aside the cheerleaders, even the kind of music being played during the match is subject to scrutiny and that in turn doesn’t really add up to a great outing for the fans.

#1 Raw Caribbean talent

There's never a dull moment when Gayle and co. are on the field

The West Indies are world champions in the shortest format of the game and for good reason too. The island nations are a host to some of the most entertaining crop of cricketers on the planet.

From Chris Gayle to Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo, entertainment’s guaranteed when players of such calibre take the field. Couple this with the new raw talent that’s available including Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell and Kesrick Williams and you have a blockbuster league for your primetime leisure.