Indian Premiere League - Twenty20 Cricket at Its Best

Cricket can easily claim to be one of the leading religions in India where people from all communities, casts, religion or race come together with a single cohesive voice without the fear of having to sound politically or religiously incorrect.

The fever pitch of this madness can be best experienced in an Indian cricket
ground where thousands of cricket crazy fans root for one team with one voice.
This voice has been given an entirely new dimension by the Indian version of Twenty20 cricket - The Indian Premiere League (IPL). IPL is a 20 over per side cricket match created by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It is the most watched domestic Twenty20 cricket competition, targeting prime time television audiences in India and around the world.


IPL is based on the lines of the European soccer leagues like the English Premiere League (EPL) where franchise owners in an annual auction bid for the overseas and domestic players. Each team franchise was up for sale in an auction held in early 2008. Bollywood superstars and business tycoons queued up to buy these teams. This in turn has ensured that IPL is not short of any glamour, fashion, beauty and all the fireworks money can buy.


The league comprises of 8 franchise teams affiliated to 8 major cities in India. The total bench strength of each team is 16 players (minimum) plus one physiotherapist and a coach. A team can have a maximum of 10 overseas players in the squad and no more than 4 in the playing XI. A minimum of 8 local players in each squad and at least 2 players from the BCCI under-22 pool need to be in a team.


The inaugural season - IPL1 was held in April 2008 in India and the second season - IPL2 is currently underway in South Africa. This mega event has got the entire nations imagination and adrenalin going. The first round of this event - IPL Season 1, was a thumping success where the result was decided in the last ball of the final match ensuring a nail-biting finish. The second leg of this event - IPL Season 2, is slowly gathering momentum.


If the Season 1 is anything to go by and the Season 2 slowly but surely heating up, fans and loyalties switching sides, victors and under-dogs swapping places on the points table, then I won't be surprised if flights to Capetown - South Africa are already over booked.