The playoff stage of the Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL) has begun which kicked off between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1. During the day, for every dot ball, the icon was changed from a dot to a tree graphic, which garnered a lot of curiosity, especially among social media users.
It was later clarified on air by the commentators that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has pledged to plant 500 trees for each dot ball that will be played in Playoff matches.
The official broadcasters of the league creatively displayed a tree emoji on the scorecard instead of a point ball, signalling an important environmental initiative.
Known as ‘Green Dot Balls,’ this sustainability initiative introduced by the BCCI aims to plant 500 trees for every dot ball thrown in every playoff game. Mentioning the broadcasters of this green effort during live commentary raised awareness and showcased BCCI’s commitment to conserving the environment through the power of cricket.
BCCI will carry out the tree planting campaign at various locations in India, though they have not disclosed the specific areas. It can be inferred that the BCCI aims to distribute trees widely, covering different regions of the country.
The approach maximises the environmental impact, benefiting different ecosystems and communities.
A total of 34 balls were bowled by Gujarat Titans when CSK was batting whereas the defending champions played 48 dot balls in their 20 overs. Total 82 dot balls were bowled in the match which means 41,000 trees will be planted by the BCCI as per the initiative.
Meanwhile, this is not something new in the IPL. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) conceived the ‘Green Game’ concept back in 2011. Since then, RCB wear special green jerseys in one of their home games to spread awareness for a greener and cleaner environment.
