What Got Me Curious
Last night I was scrolling cricket clips when this headline popped up: Fair Play IPL 2023 winner announced! Honestly, I always thought “fair play” stuff was just boring paperwork. But this time I wondered – how does a team even win something like that? Do refs give points when players don’t swear? Or maybe smile extra nice? Seemed fuzzy.
Digging Up the Rules
I grabbed my laptop and searched IPL fair play rules right away. Found this PDF guide thicker than roti dough. Main things they score:
- Not arguing with umpires like street vendors haggling prices
- Shaking hands nicely even if you got smashed for six sixes
- Zero fake injuries when losing
- Captain keeping players from acting like rowdy uncles at weddings
Teams get rated after every single match – captains, match refs and TV folks all vote secretly. No clue why they need three groups, feels like asking three aunties to pick one recipe.
Tracking Points Live
Decided to test it myself during replay of CSK vs Titans final. Noticed everytime MS Dhoni just nodded calmly at umpire calls – even wide balls! When Jadeja got out, whole team just walked off quiet. Titans captain Hardik Pandya too – shook hands properly when they lost. But saw one Titans player kick the boundary rope after dropping catch. Bet they lost points there!
Started scribbling notes like:
- CSK players clapped opponents’ boundaries?
- Fielders gave back batsman’s gear immediately?
- Any time-wasting drama?
Felt like school detention duty but with more excitement.
Connect the Dots
Finally understood why CSK kept topping fair play charts. Dhoni runs that team like strict yoga teacher – all players move calm, zero shouting matches. Even their orange jersey looks more peaceful than others’ neon colors!
Other teams? Royals got busted arguing decisions twice. Rinku Singh’s heroics for KKR were electric but they lost points for slow over-rate. Mumbai’s players got too mouthy during one chase.
The Big Prize Moment
When officials handed CSK that Fair Play trophy, I actually cheered! They won by consistently doing small things right:
- Treating umpires like temple priests
- Opponents like cousins visiting for Diwali
- Keeping cool during chaos like pressure-cooker whistles
Watching how seriously they took it changed my view. This isn’t some participation trophy. It’s about building actual respect through hundreds of tiny choices.
