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

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 every dot ball bowled during the playoff matches, 500 saplings are being planted across the country.

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.

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.

Mumbai Indians’ Nehal Wadhera cracked the door handle display in their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Other batters in other matches hit the windscreen.

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.

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.

They sported a distinctive green uniform as well as musical instruments manufactured using upcycled and recycled materials, such as used automobile tyres, rejected iron rods, plywood and other scrap, sending out a message of reusability, sustainability, and environmental awareness.

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.

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.

ICC General Manager — Development, William Glenwright, said, “Increasing the number of female master educators is an important step in removing barriers to female participation — a process that includes training and certifying more female coaches around the world. This initiative will further improve the quality and quantity of coaches throughout the ICC membership, resulting in an improved playing experience for participants around the world.”

“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.