India is a country of culture that celebrates countless festivals. But there’s one festival that is celebrated across the country with the same zeal by every Indian. Cricket is our religion and IPL is one of our favorite festivals. Each year, millions of rupees are invested into making this festival worth a memory. The entire country gets divided into teams and is yet united to celebrate the spirit of cricket.
The IPL 2022 has been a hot topic even before it commenced. Rumors had started to surface that this year the IPL was going to be a lot more different than it used to be. Right from the start, sponsors had been bidding whopping amounts on the game. This did paint a pretty lavish picture before everyone and gave us hints that this year, the IPL was going to be better and more grand than it has been.
The auction event led to the introduction of two new teams which was the first surprise for the viewers. A lot of cricket enthusiasts felt that the authorities might introduce some changes to the rules of the game too. By the time the IPL commenced, the news came true and cricket enthusiasts couldn’t hold onto their seats and wait for the IPL to begin.
So, there are no second opinions on the fact that IPL 2022 has been a lot more different than the previous IPLs. In this article, we shall be discussing the five primary differences we observed in the IPL 2022 and the previous ones.
Format of the Game:
IPL matches have had a history of having 60 games played between eight teams. In the 15th IPL which was IPL 2022, the introduction of two new teams gave us ten teams to vouch for. Also, the number of matches to be played was increased from 60 to 74 matches. The IPL 2022 is an event that has been planned to run for 65 days.
The format of the IPL 2022, divides the teams into two groups of five each. Each side of the league stage has been allotted 14 matches to represent themselves. In the league phase, the teams have been divided into virtual groups. Each team has been given seedings. The seedlings have been given based on the number of times a team won the IPL.
Group A consists of Mumbai Indians, which have the record for most IPLs won by any team. It also includes Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow SuperGiants.
Group B has been represented by Chennai Super Kings and includes Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and Gujarat Titans.
The Introduction of New Teams:
As we mentioned, the previous IPL matches had eight teams playing against each other to win the IPL trophy. This year two new teams shall be contesting the match. Lucknow SuperGiants and the Gujarat Titans are the two new additions to the IPL 2022.
The Introduction of New Rules:
The BCCI had ruled out some major changes to the old rules of the game. The changes have been made keeping in mind DRS, Covid-19, the Super Over, and MCC laws
IPL matches have had a rule that a team must have eleven players and an extra. This should include seven Indian players and a substitute fielder. Although COVID 19 has been on a low in India for two to three months, if a team due to any COVID threats is unable to gather 11 players, the BCCI will make efforts to reschedule the match.
The DRS has been another notable change made by the BCCI to the IPL 2022. The number of referrals that previously were limited to just one has been made to two now.
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) suggested that the new batsmen should be bound to take a catch, even if the batsmen in the middle make a crossover. Previously, the rule was being followed for only international matches. However, the IPL 2022 has made all the efforts to become the match of revolution.
The BCCI also informed the players that a team cannot stage subsequent super overs to come out of a tie, during a match.
New Captainship:
- The Royal Challengers Bangalore were led by Virat Kohli in the previous matches. In the IPL 2022, they’ll be led by South Africa’s Faf du Plessis.
- The Chennai Super Kings were led by MS Dhoni in the previous matches. In the IPL 2022, they’ll be led by Ravindra Jadeja.
- The Kolkata Knight Riders were led by Eoin Morgan in the previous matches. In the IPL 2022, they’ll be led by Shreyas Iyer.
- The Lucknow SuperGiants in the IPL 2022, will be led by K.L. Rahul.
- The Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022, will be led by Hardik Pandya.
- The Punjab Kings in the IPL 2022, will be led by Mayank Agarwal.
The Debutants:
Each year, IPL chooses some new faces for the teams that go on to become the face of Indian cricket. This year too, some new players have joined the teams like Dhull (DC), Dewald Brevis (MI), Rajvardhan Hangargekar (CSK), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (GT), and Raj Bawa (PBKS).
Key Takeaways:
IPL has been a much-awaited event across the country. It divides us into teams and yet pulls us all together in the spirit of cricket. The IPL 2022, was assumed to be bigger and better than the previous ones and it proved to be. This year the IPL has introduced new teams to its lot, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow SuperGiants.
Some teams have also had a change of captain like Punjab Kings will be led by Mayank Agarwal, Gujarat Titans by Hardik Pandya, Lucknow SuperGiants by K.L. Rahul, Kolkata Knight Riders by Shreyas Iyer, and Royal Challengers Bangalore by South Africa’s Faf du Plessis.
Also, the DRS has been increased from one to two. BCCI has said if a team is unable to have 11 players on match day, the match will be rescheduled. The teams have been divided into two groups.
Group A contains Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow SuperGiants. The second Group contains Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and Gujarat Titans.
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