Photo Essay: India's IPL 360

 IPL 360 – A journey to India’s global sports extravaganza

 One of the Asia Media Centre’s experts, Jerry Clode, took a dream trip to follow the Indian Premier League cricket tournament last month.  Here he shares his personal reflections on India, his new book and two visually stunning photo essays borne of his adventure. 

 India has always held a powerful place in my heart.  Despite this amazing place being stereotyped as the nation of ‘upset bellies, chaos and misunderstanding’ – my experiences have simply been the opposite.  One word of Indian origin captures it perfectly – nirvana.

Despite growing up in a destitute background in New Zealand, I dreamt about India from a young age.  My late mother, Avis, used to find Bollywood music and play it for me and my sister, as a of form in-home entertainment.  We even tried to cook ‘Bombay mince’ in probably the most exotically inclined kitchen in Mataura. 

Somehow, I wormed my way into an academic and commercial career which allowed me to visit India regularly in the 1990s and 2000s.  These trips included taking global clients on ‘cultural immersions’ in Indian cities, as a way to understand the unique needs of their Indian consumers.  As part of these projects, I was lucky enough to go into homes to understand the day-to-day life of the emerging Indian middle-class.

Fast forward to 2023, I somehow had not been back to my beloved India for ten years. 

A corporate focus on China, living in Brazil, and Covid all had their part to play in the separation.  However, my New Year’s resolution (sponsored by Speights) was to return to India through another of my great passions, cricket.

 A huge fan of the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its first edition in 2008, I had never seen the spectacle live.  So, I booked my flights to India, and completed my most planned international holiday ever – six cities, six IPL games.

 As you will see in the photo essay “IPL 360” captured during the trip, it was simply incredible to be amongst the local fans screaming and dancing.  Each stadium had a unique atmosphere and relationship to the players. 

One venue, in Jaipur, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium holds just 30,000 seats – many of which are placed in the stadium hours before the game.  While at the other extreme, you have the Navendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, named after India’s current Prime Minister, that is state-of-the-art and holds 135,000 fans.  Both were incredible in terms of atmosphere.

Along the way, I was really lucky to enjoy ‘extra access’ to the IPL.  This was made possible by the kiwi connection (the force is strong, my friends). First,  I spent time with Danny Morrison, ex-Black Caps paceman and one of the IPL’s most iconic commentators.   Danny and his wife, Kim, encouraged me to turn my project into a book, which I am now doing.

Further to this, I  met Trent Boult, key member of the Rajasthan Royals, and one of a handful of kiwis to have won the IPL.

Mike Hesson, fellow Dunedinite and Director of Cricket at RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) was kind enough to invite me to a team breakfast, where I also had a chance to catch up with current Black Caps, Michael Bracewell and Finn Allen.

Finally, Stephen Fleming, former NZ captain and most famous coach in the IPL, saved me by securing two tickets in Chennai, the final destination of the trip.  It made me proud to be Kiwi.

One important topic my book will address is the social and cultural impact the IPL has had on India since its inception in 2008.

Now, one of the largest and most profitable sports leagues in the world, with a massive global audience, the IPL has the potential to support changes within Indian society. 

An important change has been opening cricket up to women and families.  This year marked the first year of the WPL (Women’s Premier League) which was played in March – a major milestone for the sport. 

Also in stadiums, there were large numbers of young families enjoying the games together, including mums and their children. 

Below you'll see “IPL 360” a thematic photo essay which acts as an introduction to the phenomena of the tournament – the fans, the games and how Indian cities live and breathe the event.  (We'll feature a second essay STREET LIFE INDIA by Jerry in a couple of weeks).  

Remember, “I don’t like cricket … oh no … I love it” or as the Indians say “cricket is life, everything else is just a game”. 

Check out Jerry's Photo Essay on the IPL below:  
IPL 360 by Jerry Clode on Exposure