IPL teams’ travel extravagance raises questions amid PM Narendra Modi’s austerity push

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching a major nationwide austerity drive and urging Indians to reduce fuel consumption, the Indian Premier League (IPL) does not appear to fall under the scope of such measures.

Each team typically travels with around 25 players, another 25 members of the support staff, and more than 10 net bowlers — meaning at least three buses are often deployed per team on practice days. In addition, two to three large passenger cars are used to ferry marquee players from the team hotel to the stadium.

While it is understandable that franchises follow protocols that have evolved over the years, a question arises: with buses that seat over 35 passengers, could the entire contingent not be accommodated in just two buses instead of three? Where is the austerity drive in the IPL when teams continue to move in convoys of multiple buses and private cars even for practice sessions?

Sources said team traffic is usually lower on match days, but the presence of players’ families often adds to the number of vehicles required.

CricBlogger witnessed a team practice session where an elaborate travel arrangement was in place. Some of the star players arrived separately in passenger cars, while the rest of the squad travelled in two buses. An additional bus was used exclusively for the net bowlers.

If such an extensive transport setup continues even for practice sessions, it inevitably raises questions about how the nationwide austerity drive is being interpreted — and whether elite sporting events like IPL are effectively outside its ambit.