 IPL will be remembered for the triumph of the underdogs
2nd Jun 2008 23:01 IST
Agencies
Despite its share of controversies and the heady mix of glamour and cricket, the Indian Premier League's first edition would be best remembered for the triumph of the underdogs wherein a retired spin legend inspired the cheapest franchisee of the event to an unexpected title win.
Shane Warne, considered by many as the best captain that Australia never had, showed just how much more the team Down Under would have gained from him by leading a pack of unheralded players to a Rs 4.8 crore prize cheque, thus rounding off 44 days of a soap opera that had everything -- from drama to emotion -- for prime-time viewers.
An idea that many said was born out of the BCCI's need to counter the rebel Indian Cricket League, IPL was a success story even before a ball was bowled when sponsors and TV channels queued up to get a stake in what was to become one of the richest domestic leagues in any sport.
And when it actually took off, Lalit Modi's brain child only grew bigger with fans readily lapping up the idea of city-based rivalries even if that meant cheering the dismissal of perhaps their most revered icon Sachin Tendulkar.
The cricket dished out was equally exciting and the foreign recruits along with some exciting new Indian faces enthralled the packed stadias of the eight cities where the franchises were based.
An unheralded and unassuming Shaun Marsh, son of Australian great Geoff Marsh, became the most successful batsman of the tournament and the left-hander was the undisputed choice for the Orange Cap, meant for the event's highest run-getter, with 616 runs.
Sohail Tanvir -- the wrong-footed pacer from Pakistan -- competed with the likes of Glenn McGrath and Muttiah Muralitharan to take the purple cap for the top wicket-taker with 22 wickets.
The Bollywood stars added their own charm to the event with Kolkata owner Shahrukh Khan and Kings XI Punjab stakeholder Preity Zinta being the most visible faces.
Australia's Shane Watson, who played a key role in Rajasthan Royal's title triumph, was declared the man of the tournament with 474 runs, including four half centuries, and 17 wickets.
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