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That is the promise as another IPL edition unfolds tonight

The temperatures are soaring across the country and so is the excitement levels as the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League kicks off on Wednesday, hoping to further strengthen its status as the most popular domestic T20 competition in the world.

Despite going through several turbulent phases, the IPL has managed to grow from strength to strength, thanks to the confluence of global stars and local heroes who have ensured that most television sets have only one programme running in the evenings until the end of May.
The fans, yet again, will have plenty to look forward to as this year’s battle to the summit appears a very open race with nearly all teams, barring Delhi Daredevils, possessing lots of firepower.

Champions Kolkata Knight Riders showed how important momentum in sports is last year with a brilliant sprint towards the finish line. Down in dumps with just two wins from their opening seven games, including two defeats from a position of strength, KKR appeared ripe for the taking in the second half. However, with some inspired captaincy from Gautam Gambhir and brilliant batting from Robin Uthappa, they turned around their fortunes in stunning fashion, winning the next nine to lay their hands on the trophy for the second time.

This year too, they appear strong contenders. Much of the team has remained the same and the late clearance of their spinning ace Sunil Narine has given them a welcome boost. KKR, on paper, are one of the most balanced units. They’ve got an attacking skipper in Gambhir and his partnership with Uthappa at the top of the order set the tone for their triumph. With Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Ryan ten Doeschate and Shakib al Hasan to follow, they have the batting might to quell any bowling attack.

However, if there is one team that can halt KKR’s march and reclaim their prize, it is the Chennai Super Kings. Easily the most consistent team having finished inside the top four on all seven occasions, CSK showed their hunger and determination at last year’s Champions League T20 where they emerged victorious.

Not having won anything since the IPL crown in 2011, CSK offered a sneak peak of what they are capable of when in mood. If anything, the desire to become triple champions would be high on the Super Kings’ minds. Enough has been said and written about skipper MS Dhoni and with match-winners like Suresh Raina, Brendon McCullum, R Ashwin, Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Bravo at his disposal, there is no reason why the Captain Cool cannot dream of a third title.

One team that has often flattered to deceive is Royal Challengers Bangalore. With players like Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Mitchell Starc -- last year they also had Yuvraj Singh, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Zaheer Khan -- RCB, on paper, was the envy of everybody. Strength on paper didn’t often translate onto performances on the pitch that’s where the star-studded RCB were found wanting, failing to win anything since their existence. They looked good during the initial part of last season before falling apart and eventually settling for seventh position. Having said that, they’ve papered over the cracks, roping in Dinesh Karthik, Darren Sammy, S Badrinath, Adam Milne and Sean Abott, hoping to lend stability to a squad that relied heavily on a handful of stars.

Mumbai Indians, another powerhouse team in the fray, will be hoping to emulate the feat of 2013 when they conquered Super Kings at Eden Gardens that paved the way for a CLT20 title as well. Rohit Sharma, the scorer of two double centuries in ODI cricket, is always a big player while power hitters Aaron Finch, Keiron Pollard and Corey Anderson can cause some serious damage.

If anything, they appear weaker in the bowling department with Lasith Malinga struggling to regain rhythm at the World Cup after returning from an injury. They will banking on Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood, veteran offie Harbhajan Singh and R Vinay Kumar to deliver the goods.

Sunrisers Hyderabad have some explosive talent in their tank while it would be foolish to ignore Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural champions, who have often found ways to punch above their weight. Delhi Daredevils, following last season’s disaster, went in for a complete overhaul with the cream of their purchase being Yuvraj Singh for a whopping Rs 16 crore.
Whether that money talks or the established order delivers, the eighth outing promises another exciting fare.