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SPORTS MARCH 28, 2025 | The Indian Eye 38

IPL 2025

Veterans reflect on how the franchise has helped

Indian cricket with talent and hunger to win

Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa says that the league has “taken cricket

to a whole new dimension, elevating the sport by two or three levels.”

OUR BUREAU
Mumbai
head of the 18th season of the Indian Pre-
mier League (IPL) starting from Saturday,
Aformer Indian cricketer Suresh Raina hailed
the league for its impact on the talent pipeline of In-
dian cricket and named some of his favourite mod-
ern-day stars in the league.
Suresh Raina, JioStar expert, addresses the
media prior to the 18th edition of the IPL, he said
that the league is a festival not only in India, but all
over the world. He also hailed the modern-day tal-
ents like Tilak Varma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rinku
Singh and said that he is a fan of them. “We have
seen so many players nurture their talent and tran-
sition to the international arena. India has won the
World Cup, the Champions Trophy, the T20 World
Cup, and we have witnessed young players grow into
captains. Look at Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and so
many fast bowlers who emerged from the league.”
“Today, we have an exciting new generation
of cricketers. I am a big fan of Tilak Varma, Yash-
asvi Jaiswal, and Rinku Singh. We also have a new
captain in Axar Patel. The most important thing for
young players is to stay present, focus on their game,
and be consistent. If you score 500 runs in a season,
you can represent your country. Every IPL season
is an opportunity to evolve, become more fearless,
and improve your technique and attitude. That is
what IPL is all about—stepping up on big occasions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar being presented with a cap during a press conference ahead of the
and continuously raising your game,” he added.
Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa, who IPL 2025, at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday (ANI)
scored 4,952 runs in 205 matches in IPL with 27
fifties and won titles with KKR and CSK, also said trick or a record-breaking 150-plus individual score. rich league.
that the league has “taken cricket to a whole new di- With IPL, just when you think you’ve seen it all, the Lakshmipathy Balaji, JioStar expert, addressed
mension, elevating the sport by two or three levels.” game surprises you and says, ‘Wait, there’s more to the media prior to the 18th edition of the IPL said,
“The evolution has been so rapid that it has come!.” signed off Uthappa. “Within just six months, India has won two major
even left some people struggling to keep up. Cricket Ahead of the 2025 season, former Indian crick- trophies, and a lot of credit goes to TATA IPL—its
used to have a certain romance attached to it, but eter Lakshmipathy Balaji said that the league and franchise owners, leadership groups, and the eco-
now, that romance has transformed into something “its franchise owners, leadership groups and ecosys- system they have built. Their collective efforts have
faster, more passionate, and adrenaline-driven. tem” had a key role in India’s two successive white- shaped the league into what it is today. IPL is no lon-
The IPL has become the undisputed ‘daddy’ of T20 ball title wins, the T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC ger just an Indian tournament; it has become a glob-
leagues worldwide—it has truly come of age,” Robin Champions Trophy 2025. al brand—watched, followed, and admired by peo-
Uthappa, JioStar expert, told the media prior to the The 2025 season of the league will kickstart ple across the world. Much like Formula 1 and the
18th edition of IPL. with a clash between defending champions Kolk- English Premier League, IPL has positioned itself as
Uthappa said that “innovation has been at the ata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers one of the most significant sporting spectacles. As a
core of IPL’s success. “While it feels like we have Bengaluru (RCB). Balaji, a one-time IPL winner former player, coach, and now commentator, I have
seen it all, I have no doubt that there is still plenty who took 76 wickets in 73 matches at an average of had the privilege of witnessing IPL’s journey first-
more in store. This season, we might witness 1,000 26.68 and represented franchises like Chennai Su- hand. From its early days of bilateral series and ICC
sixes, a team scoring 300 runs in an innings, or even per Kings (CSK), KKR (one title) and Punjab Kings events to becoming a global sporting phenomenon,
a 275-plus run chase. We could see a double hat- (PBKS) in his career, spoke on impact of the cash- the IPL’s rise has been truly remarkable.”

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