02 April 2009

IPL at the Top of the World

No electricity, lack of political stability, poor infrastructure - hardly the prerequisites to host the sporting spectacle that is the Indian Premier League (IPL). But if those things were to be rectified (and I know it probably won't be for a long time to come), wouldn't Nepal be the perfect location for cricket matches?

Why bother with places like South Africa when Nepal is a short hop from India, has plenty of passionate cricket fans, year round great weather, stunning scenery to make for memorable television broadcasts, a very low cost of living, some wonderful hotels and casinos, and lots of tourist sites that Indians would enjoy (Pashupati, Boudha, etc.).

Already Nepal has one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world (See above picture). We would probably need a few more stadiums in places like Pokhara and Chitwan to host the entire IPL tournament, but if let's say in the future only one IPL team had to relocate because of security concerns or renovations to their stadium - then Nepal could be the perfect alternative.