IPL - Cricket's runaway hit
From the vision of a man who could see the massive potential and possibility in a much loved sport to the formation of an iconic tournament, the Indian Premier League has traveled the distance at breakneck speed. Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi's dream to have a cricket tournament that would rival the quality and command the staggering support like football clubs in Europe do has come to early fruition in two seasons of excitement, drama and entertainment. Eight teams from across India, with a mix of international and local players, have locked horns over the two editions of the Twenty20 competition. The melange of cricket, Bollywood, and sheer magic has raised the event to cult status amongst old and new audiences alike. New loyalties have been formed and a whole new way at looking at a venerated game has evolved. As the IPL 3.0 revs up, cricket-lovers get set for another superlative contest between local clubs with an international spirit.IPL 2 - The South African safari
It's never easy to organise a tournament that features eight formidable sides at venues that span a nation as vast as India. But when you have to relocate to a whole new country with less than three weeks at hand, the enormity of the task could well deflate the fiercest of spirits. But the IPL showed that it's made of sterner stuff. The entire cast and crew of the IPL drama was moved to the idyllic South Africa so as to ensure the tournament's safe and successful conduct. The logistical nightmare may have been daunting, but the prospect of eight Indian clubs sparring on foreign shores posed an even bigger question would the teams, sporting several new names, be able to stand up to the overseas challenge? The answer was a resounding "Yes". If the opening edition saw a glorious run fest in which several batters came to prominence, the second edition was a more evenly balanced contest between bat and ball. Left-handers like RP Singh and Matthew Hayden impressed with their brilliant performances while youngsters like Manish Pandey, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina came to the fore. In the end, Deccan Chargers, led by the exemplary Adam Gilchrist stole top honours. But the tournament belonged equally to the organisers and the enthusiastic spectators that made the IPL's first overseas sojourn a sparkling success.
IPL 1 - Opening season extraordinaire
Right from the time that the concept of the Indian Premier League was unveiled to world, to the auctions that would decide each team's composition, the buzz was deafening and the anticipation was immense. Cricket shook hands with Bollywood and entertainment, signalling the dawn of an era where the spectator was king. So when the first game of the first edition kicked off at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium on April 18, 2008, the expectations were staggering. Brendon McCullum of Kolkata Knight Riders, in a spectacular knock of 158*, announced the games officially open with swagger, pomp and glory. There was no looking back for the pioneering tournament. With every run scored, wicket taken and fielding feat registered, it became clear that the eight competing clubs had found a home in the hearts of cricket-lovers globally. The unique mix of Indian and international stars in the team's line-ups and the presence of Bollywood giants like Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta captivated an audience of millions. It was also a tournament of upsets, with some of the big names and sides bowing out early and newer names coming to the fore. But it was ultimately the spin wizard from Australia, Shane Warne, who wove his spell around the tournament. He led the Rajasthan Royals to a majestic victory that earned them the distinction of being the IPL's first ever title-winners.
