After a very short year which seemed like an eternity, the Indian Premier League caravan with its non-cricketing shots, filmstars, cheerleaders, enthralled crowds, hyping commentators, thumped bowlers, flat pitches and of course, cricketers has arrived. The twice champion which had not lost an IPL home game for nearly two years, began with a crushing loss at the hands of a resurgent Mumbai, which with smart buys, a CL trophy and a legend fresh from a milestone, looks all out to win this time around. They went on to get upset by a revamped Pune who changed everything from jersey to captain to stadium after a disastrous first season. Meanwhile, a strong Kolkata line-up embarrassed itself at the hands of the inconsistent Delhi, while 2008 winner Royals, missing Warne for the first time, dismantled Punjab.
Love it or hate it, the IPL is here to stay. Whether it is a genuine indicator of talent or reveals mere flashes in the pan, whether it endorses good cricket or just provides starry nights, whether it's out to draw people to the game or just make money, it will be around for a long while. A team has been terminated, the founder has been sacked, players have been traded like player cards but the fan following cannot be thrown out because of its sheer size. I have asked many people, 'Do you follow cricket?' and a very frequent answer has been, 'Only the IPL.' The idea of stars from all fields packed in a three-and-a-half-hour nutshell has appealed to most.
Only the orthodox remain. The presence of legends like a Dravid, who has adapted well to the slam-bang form, Tendulkar, who has always been versatile anyway, Ganguly, whose captaincy redeems his age to an extent and Gilchrist, who suits this form perfectly, has resulted in few converts. However, these anti-IPL purists are few and far between, and almost everyone I know has been, willingly or otherwise, sucked into the T20 mania.
The 45 days of action are here. In the end, one team will come out on top. The rest will make their money anyway. But it the cricket we watch it for, and it seems promising enough.
Love it or hate it, the IPL is here to stay. Whether it is a genuine indicator of talent or reveals mere flashes in the pan, whether it endorses good cricket or just provides starry nights, whether it's out to draw people to the game or just make money, it will be around for a long while. A team has been terminated, the founder has been sacked, players have been traded like player cards but the fan following cannot be thrown out because of its sheer size. I have asked many people, 'Do you follow cricket?' and a very frequent answer has been, 'Only the IPL.' The idea of stars from all fields packed in a three-and-a-half-hour nutshell has appealed to most.
Only the orthodox remain. The presence of legends like a Dravid, who has adapted well to the slam-bang form, Tendulkar, who has always been versatile anyway, Ganguly, whose captaincy redeems his age to an extent and Gilchrist, who suits this form perfectly, has resulted in few converts. However, these anti-IPL purists are few and far between, and almost everyone I know has been, willingly or otherwise, sucked into the T20 mania.
The 45 days of action are here. In the end, one team will come out on top. The rest will make their money anyway. But it the cricket we watch it for, and it seems promising enough.
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