IPL’s Impact Player and the domino effect

Imagine life without change. Without progress, without improvements, without moving on from the yesterday. Imagine being trapped in a time warp, waking up to the same things every day, going through a rigmarole that comes with the regularity of sunrise and sunset.

Imagine if, nearly 150 years after the first Test match, cricket remained a days’ game, played with a red ball, on uncovered surfaces. Impossible, right? Especially for those weaned on a steady – overwhelming? – diet of 20-over cricket, the five-day game might not appeal entirely with its subtle ebbs and flows rather than in-your-face, outlandish exhibitions of skill and athleticism. For generations together, international cricket meant only the red-ball version, until limited-overs internationals were born almost out of compulsion, if you like.