India vs Bangladesh: Cricket and crores, celebrate IPL, let Test cricket drown!

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Tragedy or comedy, you decide. What's happening in the Kanpur Test -- India vs Bangladesh --, washed out for two days by rain plus bad covers and a bad drainage system at the Green Park, has led to some tears being shed.

Yet, if you follow cricket in totality, what seems more trending and popular is the IPL, which is more than six months away in 2025. First, the wet park, which the venue in Kanpur has become.

It has been frustrating to see zero play for two days. These days, when drainage systems have been perfected and around the world cricket matches can take place within a few hours post rain, what is happening in Kanpur is a shame.

It's not very different from the poor ground in Greater Noida, where a Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand had been rained out earlier this month. Who is to blame for Kanpur needs to be discussed by the BCCI bigwigs.

This is definitely not the monsoon season but the way it has rained in several parts of India, scheduling a Test match at a venue not up to standards has to be debated. So much is riding on Tests and India have to make the final of the ICC World Test Championship. Losing an opportunity like this is sad for Indian cricket, though if it clears up over the next two days, it will be interesting to see what happens.

If you happen to track news, people are least bothered about Kanpur becoming a swimming pool of sorts. More debates are on the IPL, what with the retention policy and right to match announced by the BCCI on Saturday. People are going crazy over it, as if this is trading time on Dalal Street during a hectic session caught in the bull run. Like 'Fantasy 11 and Dream 11,' the IPL lovers are going ballistic. Even though the mega auction is in November, there is massive speculation who will be retained.

The craze for marquee names and at what prices they will be retained has become a bit like "Kaun Banega Crorepati!" Sample this, who all will be retained by Mumbai Indians and at what prices is bizarre. With Surya Kumar Yadav now the national T20 captain, he will get more. So, what happens to Hardik Pandya, who flopped in IPL 2024? Rohit Sharma won India the ICC T20 World Cup. Will he not get a higher bid? And Jasprit Bumrah? The fast bowler who demolishes batters in all formats, does he not become an automatic retention.

This is just about one team which did badly in IPL 2024. Think about KKR, CSK and RCB, the madness is complete. And then we have a man who Chennai loves, worships. MS Dhoni, 'Thala' for fans has had more farewells than others. And since he can now come in as uncapped player due to a weird rule, he will go for Rs 4 crores is speculation.

Do you actually think MS Dhoni will settle for Rs 4 crores or he will rake in more through commercial deals? Anything can happen. One thing is sure, if IPL be a business and marketing be creating hype, then it works well. Does not matter if Dhoni is not fit, with the Impact Player there for three more seasons, cricket in IPL will not be a 11-man game but a 12-man game. Clap, shout, dance to the cheerleaders, IPL is masala cricket. Make it bigger, fatter, louder.

If this is the craze now, think what will happen in the main auction, to be held outside India, in November. Why not in India? Nobody knows. Players will earn more money, in addition to the auction sums they command. Per match, more money will be doled out to players. Celebrate this splurge of money, for the IPL is cricket plus commerce.

What happens to Test cricket? It can sink, like Kanpur. Forget traditional Test centres, take it to even Dharamshala in February, when it so cold. Test cricket is not priority or the venue. Long live IPL.