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The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kickstart on 22nd March, 2024. There will be unlimited cricketing action for the next two months. Throughout the years in the IPL, we have witnessed a number of innovative and stylish shots played by the batters that made the league more interesting. However, have you ever wondered which shot has been shown in the famous IPL logo and which batsman has played that shot in the tournament.
Since its inception in 2008, the logo has been used in the IPL for the last 16 years, and will be seen again in the 17th edition. There have been many speculations about who played the IPL logo shot in real-time cricket, and the fans have also compared the logo with some shots played by the famous cricketers. Let’s have a look at the real inspiration for the IPL logo.
Who is the Real Player in IPL Logo?
Many fans believe that the former South African cricketer Ab de Villiers is the real face behind the famous IPL logo. Widely regarded as Mr. 360, De Villiers was known for his ability to hit the ball in every corner of the park by inventing unique and innovative shots while batting. He has played for Delhi Daredevils (formerly known as Delhi Capitals) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in his IPL career.
De Villiers has also replicated the IPL logo shot a couple of times while batting in the cash-rich league, that is the reason due to which many of the fans believed that he is the real inspiration for the IPL logo. However, that is not the truth as De Villiers played that shot after the inauguration of the IPL and the logo was designed before. On the other hand, some of the fans also anticipated that the logo is inspired from Virendra Sehwag, Yousuf Pathan, Brian Lara or Sachin Tendulkar, but the real inspiration for the logo has came from some other cricketer.
The IPL logo is inspired from a shot played by the former Bangladeshi cricketer Mashrafe Mortaza. In a video on his Youtube channel in 2017, former Indian cricketer and commentator, Aakash Chopra revealed that Mortaza played that shot during the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The shot that Mortaza played drew inspiration for the IPL logo as the tournament commenced in 2008.
Mortaza is former right-arm fast bowler who has played 36 Test, 220 ODIs and 54 T20Is for Bangladesh taking 390 scalps across formats. He was also a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. However, Mortaza got to play only one game in the cash-rich league where he conceded 58 runs in his four overs and went wicketless.
Who Designed the IPL logo?
The IPL logo was designed by VentureThree, a UK Based agency, in season 2007. The logo features a batsman playing a powerful shot with IPL written on the side. The logo has been an identity of the lucrative T20 league since 2008 and the same logo will be used in the IPL 2024.
IPL 2024 to Kickstart on 22nd March, CSK to host RCB in a season opener
As we are talking about the IPL, it is coming back with its 17th edition and will kickstart in 22nd March, 2024. The first match of the season will be played between the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Currently, the BCCI has only released a schedule of the first 17 days and 21 matches till 7th March. The rest of the schedule is likely to be announced after the confirmation of the 2024 General Election dates in India.
