Culture

IPL Turns Over A New Leaf With Sustainability, Inclusivity Push This Season

  • IPL is planting 500 trees for every dot ball during the playoff matches.
  • Tata Motors’ initiative across 12 stadiums aids the biodiversity of coffee plantations in Karnataka.
  • Ampere EV’s upcycling initiative enhances fan experience through its unique cheerleading programme.
  • ICC inducts nine new female trainers for worldwide training and education.

Vishnu AnandMay 28, 2023, 05:11 PM | Updated 05:19 PM IST
Every dot ball saw 500 saplings planted during the IPL 2023 playoffs.

Every dot ball saw 500 saplings planted during the IPL 2023 playoffs.


The Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, which reaches its culmination with the final game on Sunday (28 May), has seen its television (TV) and over-the-top (OTT) streaming video viewership skyrocket. But it has not been all about TV ratings and stadium takings.

The Honorary Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah, revealed earlier this week the secret behind the typical '0' against a dot ball being replaced by an animated green plant.


For example, 48,000 saplings were planted during the eliminator between the Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians.

Christened as the 'Tata IPL Green Dots' initiative, this is probably the largest sports programme in recent years aimed at environmental sustainability. But this isn’t the only societal initiative of the IPL this year.

Every ball that hit this Tiago EV in the stadium saw Tata Motors commit to donating Rs 5 lakh to rejuvenate a coffee plantation in Karnataka with new saplings.

When Ruturaj Gaikwad whacked a six for the Chennai Super Kings in the match against Lucknow, the ball slammed into the Tata Tiago electric car parked just outside the boundary, with unintended, but happy consequences.

The dent created on the door saw Tata Motors and the BCCI join to donate Rs 5 lakh towards enhancing the biodiversity of coffee plantations in Karnataka.

Tata Motors placed a Tiago EV in every one of the 12 IPL stadiums, and that was the deal: a similar amount every time a batter hit the car.


Damage for a good cause! The final tally of Tiago EVs hit and coffee plantations rejuvenated is not yet known.

Cheering For A Green Future

Individual franchises have used their electric mobility partners to launch unique initiatives aimed at sustainability.

The cheerleader squad of Royal Challengers Bangalore, in their green costumes, used musical instruments made from recycled materials.

"Har Gully Electric!" RCB became brand ambassadors for Greaves Mobility and launched a special edition of the Primus electric two-wheeler.

Greaves Mobility’s new electric two-wheeler brand Ampere is the official EV partner of the RCB team. Its motto combines environment-friendly  mobility with nukkad-style cricket: "Har Gully Electric!"

The company launched a special Primus RCB edition of its two-wheeler.

As part of the collaboration, the cheerleader squad of RCB was rechristened as the Ampere Take Charge Squad.


The team also hosted its annual "Green Game," where players, support staff, and fans wore special green jerseys made from recycled plastic bottles that are picked up from the stadium after every match. (RCB sustainability video here.)

Inclusivity For Gender-neutral Cricket Training

Following a week-long course in Dubai, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the introduction of nine women to its network of ICC coach master educators, who will oversee the development of ICC tutors and cricket coaches worldwide through the ICC training and education programme.

The ICC has inducted nine women as coach master educators. (Photo: ICC)

ICC master educators represent the top tier in the workforce hierarchy that support the delivery of coach education programmes in ICC member nations.

They are responsible for training and accrediting ICC tutors — while tutors themselves deliver courses to accredit prospective coaches, umpires, and pitch curators.

ICC believes that the popularity of women’s cricket will provide an impetus to more professional training and umpiring staff in the days to come.


“It’s been a fantastic experience,” says Monali Patel, an ICC master educator for the Americas. “We have all the regions covered… picking and choosing, getting information on what works here and doesn’t work there…” (See the ICC video interview with Monali here.)

At the epicentre of global cricket, India has turned out to be the perfect place to kickstart targeted initiatives in inclusivity and sustainability, which will have an impact on our future sooner rather than later.

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