IPL spills and thrills from today
The third edition of the hugely popular Indian Premier League will get under way in Mumbai on Friday and it’s that time of the year when evenings in India mean cricket, and little else.
For a little over six weeks, shots will be discussed and strategies dissected by arm-chair critics and experts, young and old, male and female alike. The connoisseurs will publicly dismiss the spectacle as a ‘gimmick’ but even they will be hard pressed to resist the temptation to plonk themselves in front of television sets and partake of the entertainment going by the name of IPL.
It’s not just the tag of champions and the not trifling winners’ prize money of Rs 4.8 crore that teams and individuals will be aspiring for. The small matter of a fresh auction for IPL IV is not too far away, and established stars and starry-eyed aspirants alike will try to capture the imagination and the attention of franchise owners as they seek to increase their market value.
Limited-overs cricket by itself is a batsman’s game, and Twenty20 even more so. That intrepid men like Tillakaratne Dilshan and Brendon McCullum have opened up spectacular dimensions of batsmanship.
Most Australians, West Indians, New Zealanders and Englishmen contracted to franchises will arrive at different times this month after fulfilling international and domestic commitments. By then, a clearer picture would have started to emerge as regards where the teams stand in the points table.
KKR v DC, 8pm, Live on SET Max
