Says Anand Halve, partner, Brand Chlorophyll: "Globally, if you look at the Los Angeles Lakers or the New York Yankees, their brand mythologies come from their cities. Will our teams have that impact, especially with names such as Delhi DareDevils and Kolkata Knight Riders?" he asks, adding that the team names make it sound more like a blood sport than cricket.
Cricket fans, experts say, are divided into two parts. The "eyeballs" that watch the match on television and seek score updates on their mobiles, and those who spend money on cricket by going to the stadium.
"That's the fan the IPL needs," says Goyal. The tragedy is, nobody is creating that element of warmth. In football clubs overseas, the players live in the same city and you run into them at local pubs and malls. "In IPL, there is no touch and feel. The players will take the first flight out of the city on day 44 of the tournament. The product lacks soul," he feels.
Image: Captain of IPL's Delhi Daredevils team Virender Sehwag (L) poses with Bollywood Actor Akshay Kumar (2L) ,teammates and Pakistani cricketers Shoaib Malik (2-R) and Mohammad Asif (R) during a press meet in New Delhi | Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: Why Africa is where the future lies
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