IPL restart offers sombre return to routine for Indian fans after shock of conflict

Franchise league is back after week-long suspension following tensions in subcontinent

Spectators leave the Dharamsala stadium after the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was abandoned on May 8 amid heightened conflict along the India-Pakistan border. AFP

The Indian Premier League returns on Saturday after a week-long break following a brief yet explosive conflict between India and Pakistan.

During times of war, everything else pales in significance. The IPL took time to understand the implications of what was happening around it and still held matches while tensions were high.

It was definitely unwise to host an evening match close to the north west border of the country – Dharamsala – just as the conflict had intensified nearby. That the match between Delhi and Punjab had to be abandoned midway through showed the league was treading dangerously close to the precipice.

Now, the IPL is back. And at the first available opportunity. Obviously because there is just the final batch of matches remaining and there has not been too long of a disruption to throw the schedule too far off. But also because there is way too much riding on the IPL. And also because people probably want it at this point.

From a business point of view, it was important to finish the task of hosting the tournament as efficiently and early as possible; commercial deals and other contractual obligations are black and white, bereft of emotions.

But IPL is not just business or entertainment. It has become an important part of life for Indians. The idea of four-hour long matches night after night for two months straight might seem to a lot for sports fans elsewhere but has become an annual ritual in the country where early summer evenings mean IPL and nothing else. Even big budget Bollywood movies generally avoid release during these months.

After almost two decades, the IPL has been internalised by Indian fans. There are deep divisions among the legacy teams of the tournament. Clashes among supporters of opposing teams are fairly common and the regional franchise divide is starting to cast a shadow on the national team; India coach Gautam Gambhir had been targeted for backing players who were at his Kolkata franchise earlier.

The league has become seriously big business and an unabashed obsession for cricket fans. No matter who loses, Indian cricket wins and it is a fire that feeds itself, flamed further by the vast sea of fans who keep getting served top tier content through highly accessible means anywhere in the country.

And suddenly, the conflict of last week snapped cricket fans back into reality. After weeks of IPL induced emotions, cricket followers were reminded that there is a real world out there and you don’t always get to switch the screen off once it is done.

Hoping that fans – shaken by the realities of life and conflict – will jump right back into the jingoistic world of IPL and cheer for runs and wickets might be asking a bit too much from them. But people might also want to get back to the things that made their day before the start of the hostilities with their nuclear-armed neighbours.

There are always more important and serious issues in life, but for millions of people in India, the unmistakable sound of the IPL jingle might offer some relief, however superficial, after many nights of air raid sirens.

It might not be the same as before, with a few overseas players missing because of international commitments, injury and – in some cases – being shaken up by the entire ordeal.

Also, during the brief break, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket, making the remaining matches of the IPL and some ODIs in the future the only chance for fans to see them in action for the time being.

Fans might not be completely invested in which team and player does what over the next couple of weeks leading up to the June 3 final; especially those who were reasonably affected by what transpired over the last 10 days. But, at least the evenings can be frivolous and carefree for some.