Does money distract young stars?
Brand managers of India feel performance talks at end of the day
The discussion which dominates the IPL auction — year after year — is whether the mega bucks deals handed out to the young Indian cricketers often destroy their focus on the game and in turn, have an adverse effect on their career. It’s no different this time with Ishan Kishan, a 23-year-old small town boy, leading the way and several uncapped players also striking it rich.
The second day saw two members of the Under-19 World Cup winning squad, all-rounder Raj Angad Bawa and Rajvardhan Hangargekar hitting the jackpot when they were picked up by Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings, respectively.
The hefty price tags of IPL, which is often followed by the cricketers being signed up by portfolio managers, is the name of the game and there is a perception that it’s the bane of the modern Indian cricketer. At least three brand managers that Gulf News have spoken to have rubbished such a sweeping idea, though they agree that the cricketers need some help in handling of finance and right career choices — and that’s where they come in.
Tuhin Mishra of Baseline Ventures, which handles the accounts of the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Bhubaneshwar Kumar, Smriti Mandhana and Jemima Rodrigues apart from a host of successful Indian Olympians, feels that the onus is on the cricketer to realise that it’s the performance which will speak at the end of the day. “From my experience, I can say that the family can play a big supporting role to the young cricketer to ensure that the focus remains in cricket while there is an overall development of personality as well,’’ Mishra told Gulf News.
Varun Chopra of Medallin Sports, a Delhi-based sports management company which handled the likes of Unmukt Chand, Hanuma Vihari or Mithali Raj before, sees the need of caution and educating the young cricketers. “There is a problem for the players who are breaking through from the junior ranks. When they are developing their skill sets at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) as a 17 or 18-year-old, it’s all about cricket.”