IPL- Where talent meets opportunity
Magnificent new trophy befits tournament that fulfills cricketers’ ambitions
The Orange Cap. The Purple Cap. The Dugout. The Fairplay Award. There are several symbols that capture the essence of the world’s biggest carnival of cricket. But there’s one image that perfectly combines the mood, spirit and significance of the tournament: the IPL trophy.
Over the past four seasons, IPL has bridged the gap between the dreams and reality of talented local cricketers. Sharing the dressing room with the game’s elite – past and present – youngsters have learnt more than just cricketing lessons during the competition. More importantly, they’ve imbibed the values and confidence without which success remains elusive. From Yusuf Pathan to Saurabh Tiwary and from Manish Pandey to R Ashwin, the national side has benefitted regularly from breakthrough IPL performances.
No wonder, then, that the sparkling new IPL trophy bears the Sanskrit words : “Yatra pratibha avsara prapnotihi” (Where talent meets opportunity). Crafted in burnished gold, reflecting the quality of the competition, the trophy looks every bit the perfect award for excellence in a gruelling test of talent, nerves and strategising.
Ever since this edition of the tournament began on April 8, 2011, the glittering award has dominated the thoughts of all ten captains and their top-notch sides. Bearing a classic look, it evokes all the splendour and pomp associated with grand sporting achievements. The Sanskrit engraving underscores all the grandeur with a calm insight into the competition.
On May 28, one of the ten captains will come up and receive the resplendent trophy, signifying the triumphant end of a long and arduous journey. But the cup symbolises so much more than victory for 11 players. It is, in fact, the coming together of every little victory that has taken place all along the way. No matter whose mantelpiece the trophy adorns on D-day, its brilliant glow is the result of the combined excellence of 10 remarkable teams.
The Orange Cap. The Purple Cap. The Dugout. The Fairplay Award. There are several symbols that capture the essence of the world’s biggest carnival of cricket. But there’s one image that perfectly combines the mood, spirit and significance of the tournament: the IPL trophy.
Over the past four seasons, IPL has bridged the gap between the dreams and reality of talented young cricketers, both local and international. Sharing the dressing room with the game’s elite – past and present – youngsters have learnt more than just cricketing lessons during the competition. More importantly, they’ve imbibed the values and confidence without which success remains elusive. From Yusuf Pathan to Saurabh Tiwary and from Manish Pandey to R Ashwin, the national side has benefitted regularly from breakthrough IPL performances.
No wonder, then, that the sparkling new IPL trophy bears the Sanskrit words: “Yatra pratibha avsara prapnotihi” (Where talent meets opportunity). Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels, “It’s an inscription that is absolutely apt for this particular tournament. IPL affords an opportunity to lots of talented players from all over the world - I specially mean the uncapped talented players - to show their skills and come into reckoning for their national teams.”
The burnished trophy, reflecting the quality of the competition, looks every bit the perfect award for excellence in a gruelling test of talent, nerves and strategising.
“It is nice to see a new trophy seeing as there are two new teams; it is not going to be the same trophy the eight teams were previously playing for,” says former Zimabwean cricketer turned commentator Pumelelo Mbangwa. “IPL provides an opportunity mainly to youngsters who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t get noticed in a country as vast as India. There are some talented youngsters no doubt who have come to the fore [through the competition] and that’s the good thing about IPL.”
Ever since this edition of the tournament began on April 8, 2011, the glittering award has dominated the thoughts of all ten captains and their top-notch sides. Bearing a classic look, it evokes all the splendour and pomp associated with grand sporting achievements. The Sanskrit engraving underscores all the grandeur with a calm insight into the competition.
“I like that inscription - Talent meets Opportunity,” says former New Zealand cricketer turned feisty commentator Danny Morrison. “It means a lot of opportunities for young Indians and opportunity for talented international stars to show their wares. This trophy is more traditional [than the previous one].”
On May 28, one of the ten captains will come up and receive the resplendent trophy, signifying the triumphant end of a long and arduous journey. But the cup symbolises so much more than victory for 11 players. It is, in fact, the coming together of every little victory that has taken place all along the way. No matter whose mantelpiece the trophy adorns on D-day, its brilliant glow is the result of the combined excellence of 10 remarkable teams.
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