Although the BCCI denies it, it is quite obvious that the IPL was a response to Zee’s break-away league, the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Most knee-jerk reactions are super-flops, but the BCCI seems to have pulled a miracle. Not only does it look like the IPL is a huge success so far (for the BCCI at least, that’s managed to earn like $1 Billion!) but I think this is going to sound the death-knell of the ICL league.

Consider the incentives for individual players. Joining the ICL means goodbye to the ambition of playing for the country’s team. Plus, the rebel league doesn’t seem to have the same high-quality crop of international players that the IPL does. But consider the money. Quite clearly, the IPL has significantly more amounts of money than the ICL can ever muster. The BCCI is filthy rich already, and can crush any competition, Microsoft style.

The BCCI won’t allow the ICL to use it’s stadiums, it’s players, it’s money and it’s sponsors. The ICL is basically left with nothing. The ICL is going to go into a bad download loop now. Good players are not going to join now because there are no good players there, and that will only mean - well, no good players. The ICL is in danger of ending up as a second-rate league for the low class cricketer.

What can ICL do to get out of this mess? Or is it too late now?