India in a special league!

Ravichandran Ashwin of Rajasthan Royals celebrates his 50 during 58th Indian Premier League 2022 game against Delhi Capitals at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 11. Pic/BCCI; PTI

Apart from the massive financial boost and enormous increase in fan interest, India's biggest gain from a highly productive IPL competition has been the huge improvement in playing depth.

India's overseas reputation was an improving one, especially under the captaincy reign of a competitive Sourav Ganguly, but it gradually increased when the IPL began 15 seasons back in 2008. The quietly thoughtful MS Dhoni - who is still exerting an influence - built on Ganguly's reputation which was then improved upon by the highly competitive leadership of Virat Kohli.

The firmly established and international wide IPL of 2022 is now seen as the most important part of India's enviable depth in international cricket.

To the thoughtful players as far back as the 1970s, Indian cricket was a major concern. It was felt even then that if India ever capitalised on its enormous population advantage and decided to select its best teams, then eventually size would prevail.

Those fears materialised when the IPL gathered worldwide popularity. India's overseas results initially were creditable and then - especially in Australia - by the 2020's they were the most feared team in the Test competition.

Not only did India under Kohli, ably assisted by Ajinkya Rahane, win internationally, but in 2021, they also achieved an incredible series victory over Australia which confirmed their player-depth. This was an Indian team not only ably led, but also displaying ample resolve and being competitively better than the previously almost impregnable Australia in home conditions.

India has always had individual stars. In the past, there were outstanding batsmen like Sunil Gavaskar, Vijay Hazare and Mohammed Azharuddin. The all-rounders were headed by the extremely athletic and successful Kapil Dev, but Vinoo Mankad also held a special place among his peers.

Spinners there were plenty but the big three - Erapalli Prasanna, Bishan Bedi and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar - headed the list of past greats.

However India, who had produced the odd faster bowler, lacked a pace conglomerate. That was until the IPL began to bare its teeth and now we have the current generation of fast bowlers to round out a versatile attack and accompany a strong batting line-up buoyed by a decent catching combination.

Nowadays, India's enormous depth in pace bowling is the envy of most countries. The development of star pacemen like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami and Mohammad Siraj has been instrumental in India's improved overseas reputation.

Nevertheless, there is a depth below that group in the successful Ishant Sharma, the under-rated Umesh Yadav and a handy back-up in Shardul Thakur.

India had evolved from a team that had a reputation where some players treasured the blazer, sweater and cap more than actual selection in the Test side, to one that was extremely difficult to beat under any conditions.

In addition to the enormous increase in pace bowling power, the improved fielding culture, boosted by the international flavour of the IPL, helped advance India's reputation. Years ago in an Indian Test cricket documentary, former captain Tiger Pataudi spoke of how "the batsmen used to go into the slips and drop all the catches."

This comment elicited a huge guffaw from the audience, but the influential Pataudi, who was a brilliant cover fieldsman himself, made a valid point.

The pace bowling evolution shows no sign of abating and the name on IPL lips is currently the pacy Umran Malik. In the past India have displayed patience in developing its fast bowling group, but the genuine pace of Malik will be hard to ignore.

In a world where pace bowling is a valuable commodity India are now a shining light. However, as England has displayed recently, thoughtful captaincy isn't easy to uncover, but India seem to be doing a good job in this regard through the extremely competitive IPL.

India are currently a dominant international side and if they continue to show the required resolve they will continue to be a leading team. That is an envious position and India can thank the highly successful IPL for much of their lofty reputation.

Clayton Murzello's Pavilion End column will return next week

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