IPL 5 is here, time for cricketainment
The cash flow just got heavier. The coaching manual will go out the window once again. The cricket will be as far removed from the traditional as can be imagined. However, the Indian Premier League has many takers and continues to thrive.
There is a heavy demand for tickets. The advertising rates on the ground and on television are growing. The IPL has already proved that it is inflation-proof and fan fatigue is a thing of the past.
The fifth edition will have one team less than the previous one with the Kochi Tuskers turfed out. The format is back to its regular home-away basis, although some matches will be played on 'borrowed' home turf to feed the BCCI vote bank.
Fittingly the inaugural game will be played between two of the three best teams on paper. Chennai Super Kings have easily been the team to beat while Mumbai Indians have constantly surged, thanks to passionate owners and committed support staff. Royal Challengers Bangalore should be a genuine threat as well.
If past performance and ability to raise their game towards the business end of the tournament are anything to go by then the other teams have some catching up to do.
By sheer weight of their star cast, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils will fancy their chances as well but they have had this tendency to buckle under pressure.
Kolkata under Gautam Gambhir looked a charged unit last season but showed weak legs during the play-offs. Pune Warriors, Rajasthan Royals and Deccan Chargers will not have many placing their money on them but are all equally capable of causing more than a surprise or two.
Apart from their title triumph in 2009, Deccan Chargers' march to the knockouts in 2010 was commendable as conditions hardly suited their style of play and yet they made most of their resources and punched above their weight.
Cricket will be exciting and there will be a generous dosage of close games as it usually happens in this format.
In the background of India's recent results, especially in Test cricket, cynics will look at the league as one that is detrimental to India's growth as a cricketing powerhouse on the field. They cannot be totally faulted as the adverse effects of the event have also become evident.
The 2009 edition in South Africa held up a mirror to Indian cricket. Sporting wickets exposed the inadequacies among some of the Indian batsmen. Once the league came back for good to the low and slow tracks of home, batsmen prospered again.
If run-scoring in the previous season was a touch difficult on worn out wickets thanks to a long season that culminated with the World Cup, the contest between bat and ball was not as balanced as expected.
Barring a few Australian players at the start and some Englishmen leaving the tournament midway, the ensemble for all teams will be largely intact. The tournament is set for a bright start and will hopefully provide rich entertainment to deserving fans.
There might be some room for optimism for Indian cricket if the league prospers more to prove the shortest format is here to stay for good.
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