The Indian Premier League is a product as much as it is a cricket tournament. Many use this as a criticism, but for the budding club, school or academy cricketer it’s a real chance to improve.

Wherever you are in the world you will be able to see the IPL in action and that means you can see some of the world’s best players demonstrate their skills under huge pressure.

If you talk to many retired cricketers (and I have spoken to luminaries like Derek Randall, Mike Brearley and Desmond Haynes) they will tell you that when they were young they used to learn about the game simply by going to matches and watching.

Television allows you to do that without going to the ground, and every IPL game is on TV.

By watching the best at work you get a feel for the rhythm of the game; you see in close up the body language of the confident players (and the nervous ones) and you can study technique that makes players the best.

If you have any ambitions in short format cricket, there is no doubt you should watch the IPL live this season.

Where to Watch IPL Cricket Live

The easiest place to keep an eye on matches is in India, where the matches are primetime and on SET Max TV.

You can also watch IPL on English TV thanks to ITV4, who are broadcast every match on the channel and streaming IPL live on itv.com. In the UK matches start mid morning or mid afternoon making it perfect for students on Easter holiday.

African cricketers can catch the games on SuperSport, both on the TV and live streaming with similar day times for games. In the Caribbean you can catch the games on SportsMax TV.

Australian viewers don’t have a broadcaster this time. But don’t fear you can still watch online if you want to stay up late (the matches are on in the small hours).

If you want to watch IPL live streaming, you can access it via the official site at the Times of India.

How to Watch IPL Live

It’s important to remember not to passively watch the games though. You will only get the most from the IPL if you are thinking while you watch.

That means you are best turning down the sound so you can’t hear the commentary. Watch the way the game unfolds and work out for yourself what is happening. Keep asking questions like:

• What is the bowler trying to do?
• How is the batsman reacting to the different types of balls?
• What fields are set, and why?
• How does a player’s confidence change through an innings?
• How do players react in different situations?
• What shots are bineg used, and what areas is the ball going?
• What mistakes are players making and why?

Become an analyst in your armchair: be mindful when watching the IPL and you will start to pick up things that you can try in your own games and practices.

And that’s when the IPL becomes a coaching tool whatever level you play.

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