Glamour cricket is back

Dubai: The fifth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins today with the big question being whether the event will live up to its reputation as the most popular and sought-after Twenty20 tournament in the world.

Last year, the event was held soon after the World Cup [50 overs], with a tired bunch of players. For the Indian fans, the IPL was an overdose of cricket, especially after the common man had dished out money for World Cup tickets.

This year's edition is being held at a time when Indian cricket is going through a tumultuous period, with some poor performances.

The 2012 IPL will reveal whether cricket fans have really been affected by the poor show of the Indian team or their love for the game is still intact.

The television viewership will play a vital role in the future of this event, which has a brand value of $3.67 billion (Dh13.47 billion). The fact that the 2011 IPL produced the lowest television rating of all the previous editions is a worrying factor for the organisers.

However, the news that certain categories of tickets for important matches in certain centres have already been sold out is indeed positive news. Ultimately, for the event to remain popular, each edition has to be better than the earlier ones.

The IPL as an event has also been passing through a tough phase like the Indian team.

The scars inflicted by the former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi have not yet healed. His periodic bombshells stating that player auctions were fixed and many other scandals have affected the reputation of the event.

So, under the present circumstances, it is imperative for the fifth edition of the IPL to take off with some exciting matches. It can lure the reluctant fan to the event.

Nine teams have signed up the best players hoping that they will produce their best during the 76 matches to be held over the next 54 days.

Indian cities will once again welcome the event, and places such as Cuttack, Visakhapatanam, Dharmasala and Pune will be buzzing with excitement. Renowned stadiums such as Kolkata's Eden Gardens, Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla, Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Punjab's Mohali stadium, Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi Stadium and Chennai's Chepauk will come alive again.

In fact, Chepauk, where the final will be staged, is a central attraction. All eyes will be on defending champions Chennai Super Kings, the team that has bagged the title twice in a row and has reached the play-off at every edition of the IPL. Led by Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, this will be the team everyone will look to beat.

The Kolkata Knight Riders are probably the most balanced side in the event with the game's finest hitters in Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and the fastest bowler in Brett Lee. To support them, they have the consistent Jacques Kallis and Shakib Al Hassan, who is among the finest all-rounders in the game.

Another team to watch out for will be the Sahara Pune Warriors. They have appointed Sourav Ganguly, one of India's most successful captains, in place of Yuvraj Singh, who is recovering from cancer, as their skipper. Speaking to Gulf News, Ganguly, who was in Dubai recently, said: "We will miss Yuvraj Singh, but we have the team to stun the best teams in this edition."

The Deccan Chargers' chances depend on their skipper Kumar Sangakkara, who will have to play a vital role with his bat, and pacer Dale Steyn, who will have to lead the attack effectively.

Mumbai Indians have proved that they were a power in IPL 3 and IPL 4 editions. This could be their chance to lift the title under Harbhajan Singh, and they have the team to do it. The fact that they won the Champions League last year strengthens their chances.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore, who were runners-up in the 2011 Champions League, will confidently aim for the IPL title this time.

For the first time, Rajasthan Royals will not be led by Shane Warne. His place will be taken by Rahul Dravid, whose experience as a player can come in handy in transforming the team into a winning combination. Delhi Daredevils, with the finest pace attack and hard hitters led by Virender Sehwag, can be tough to beat. Kings XI Punjab have players like Adam Gilchrist, David Hussey and Stuart Broad, who are match-winners, but their chances will depend on their consistency.