Key Stats Highlighting Why IPL 2020 is a Must-Watch

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The pinnacle of domestic short-form cricket has returned, with the Indian Premier League showcasing so many of the sport’s most exciting talents.

Every year there are fireworks, with the 20-overs format forcing players to go all-out in every over. There’s still a long way to go in the IPL 2020, and yet, the headline-making tournament has already established each match as much-watch cricket.

From the sheer number of viewers to the big-name stars reeling in fans from all over the world, this year’s IPL looks to be bigger than ever.

Not only showcasing the finest talents of India

The Indian Premier League was primarily founded to showcase and develop the nation’s short-form talents. However, with all of the money that’s been pumped into the competition – thanks to its massive popularity – it’s not just India’s finest who are using the IPL to showcase their skill.

Continuing a fine tradition of paying whatever it takes to compete, the Kolkata Knight Riders paid a record fee for an overseas player this year, with Pat Cummins joining for a massive Rs 15.50 crore. Foreign signings have continued to up the competition in the IPL since it began in 2008.

In fact, across the 12 completed editions of the competition, the MVP award has only been claimed by an Indian player twice, with Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli claiming the prestigious award. This year, however, the home players KL Rahul and Kohli are tipped to reclaim the crown, but they’ll have to be at their best to beat the likes of Faf du Plessis, Andre Russell, Jofra Archer, and the recently called-up Jason Holder.

More eyes than ever on the action

This year’s IPL has been eagerly awaited by fans, culminating in record viewers tuning-in to the opening match between the Indians and the Super Kings. A massive 200 million people watched the opening game on television and digital platforms, with the continued rise of smartphone penetration in India opening up to so much more engagement with the tournament.

Close to 450 million people in India are expected to be mobile phone internet users by the end of this year, with services like Reliance Jio offering an easy way to stream the action live. Furthermore, other methods of engaging with the IPL have opened up with the increase in mobile internet users.

BettingGuru reviews cricket betting sites with all of the highest-rated platforms now opening to Indian players and offering bonuses in Rs. Each site offers odds on the upcoming matches, outrights per team, and tournament winners, allowing fans to test their predictions and back their favourite teams in the betting.

Another clash of the titans

The IPL draws so many new talents from around the world each year that the headlines can distract from the elites who play each season. Two of the best and most successful players of the competition each year are MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, and while India.com reports them downplaying comparisons, it’s tough not to.

Chennai Super Kings captain Dhoni is the highest earner in the league, raking in Rs 137.8 crore over 13 years, being retained for Rs 15 crore in 2020. Furthermore, he’s played in the most finals of any captain, attending eight of the 12 so far, being the only skipper to defend the title. Sharma comes in as the second-highest earner but as the first captain to land four IPL titles – all with the Mumbai Indians.

It’s still a relatively young tournament, but Dhoni and Sharma have already established themselves as two of the all-time greats. In 2020, everyone’s tuning in to see how the next chapter of their polite battle unfurls.

The 2020 Indian Premier League looks to be as explosive as ever, seemingly getting bigger and better with each passing year.

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