Cricinfo - Blogs - From the Editor - Fan's eye view of IPL

The second season of the IPL will start in just 6 more days. Its debut was fascinating but this time the tournament will lose some of its charm as it is being played in South Africa. One has to agree that the fan following will not be the same in South Africa as it was in India. Being a Kolkattan I had the experience of enjoying the matches inside a packed Eden gardens where the amosphere was simply amazing. One lakh people surely can't be accomodated in any of the South African grounds and moreover teams won't be enjoying the home advantage. Last year Vijay Mallya's RCB opened against Shah Rukh Khan's KKR and the opeing ceremony was a joy to watch and what followed was even better. Brendon McCullum just took the heart out of the Bangalore attack with a scintilating 158* and the Bangalore team was shattered. The finals too were as exciting as they can get. The never say die attitude of Warne saw underdogs Rajasthan Royals win of the last ball. I hope season is just as exciting.

To my opinion IPL without stars from Pakistan will be like moon with shine/light.

Therefore, the organizer must think on this and make it more successful in the best interest of cricket lovers.

Hi Sambit,
Three cheers to cricinfo for having taken this step of connecting with the fans. Unfortunately I will not be able to be a part of this connect though last year I was associated with IPL in a very close manner.

i think IPL is just waste to watch,no interest in that,i personally like 20-20 cricket,but at international level,like world cup,or tht matches which played between two nations,not any league

I like to think positively.. IPL in South Africa may just globalize the tournament even more.. In this edition, guys like Bhuvnesh Kumar will become pride of the nation.. This is what Indian cricket can gain.. If these guys can perform in SA, we know that they can also do it for India..

Being a pakistani i would prefer to watch IPL only if Pakistani players are there. This is totally unfair to drop Pakistani players on political back grounds. Players like tanvir, Gul, Butt and even Shoaib were highly successfull in the last edition. The organisers have to think about it, incase a large chunk of cricket viewers will not watch IPL as a protest!!!

I Watched IPL last season and will try to watch it if I can stay up late at night. I think IPL brings some excitement into watching cricket. I also think it will create some potential cricket for India but rest of the worlds will suffer because their talent will play in IPL. If the IPL team were allowed to use more than four international player then it will spread the talent. I think it is good for every form of cricket because there is more money to spend on cricket and hopefully the owners of IPL franchise insert money to the local are to develop talent rather than just exploiting the consumer of cricket. I think it would be good idea if the game can move to different parts of the world to help all the cricket community.

last year's ipl was suberb. this year's gonna be better with addition of the likes of kp and freddie. three cheers for cricket and hope cricket wins hearts of one and all. can't wait for it to start.

Well, IPL, more or less had been a sheer blessing for us Indian cricketers. First edition, people had an outstanding experience of playing against and with the best in the world. Second edition, we learn how to cope up with foreign conditions. Although its just in the mind, these players would get the greatest exposure. Who cares about revenue and other things coz, simple rule is that if it is unsuccessful, then it will be coming back to India. On the backdrop, its also interesting and perplexing as to why Indian Govt did not give a jack up the back of IPL commissioner for shifting the event. Why Indian Govt did not shove the ultimatum down pawar's throat? Gets to show how much of BCCI had the politicians running also. BCCI should exercise its power, or else boards of SA, OZ, Eng and even the minnows NZ will run hay wire on us sledging us out of the game. I guess thats one reason why we are winning and others are not. GO IPL 2009. I am rooting for Deccan Chargers. :)

IPL is the bane of cricket. It is nothing but a circus organised by a few greedy goons who want to hijack our national passion to fill their coffers. IPL is already causing damage to test cricket - the SL tour of England was cancelled.
My appeal to all cricket lovers - Please boycott this tamasha and save test cricket.

i live in US, but last year had the opportunity to go to mumbai, india. i saw the last ball thriller between punjab and mumbai. the atmosphere was unbelievable. seeing sachin and surya come to bat and the crowd chanting "sachin, sachin," was an out of this world experience. though the seats were pretty horrible, just being in that typical mumbai atmosphere and seeing sachin play was an amazing thing. if people think they have seen cricket, see and ipl game, that too in the stands, most preferably in mumbai. u will definately get ur moneys worth.

Playing a cricket in INDIA/outside INSIA doesnt matters,anyhow many like me are going to see the match via TV only under crowded circumstances...
The Excitement and the rule of IPL dominiom starts when Cape Cobras beat Rajasthan Royals after the enth of Levi and Philander's huge match converting sixes of Ravindra Jadeja's peppy

As for as T20 is concerned, batsmen need to keep the keep the scoreboard ticking every ball.

You need some hard and dusty pitches to get on the motion to smash the ball and make it fly all over the fence.

In those conditions India is best suited.
BTW T20 cricket in South Africa is never bad. The 1st ever T20 WC took place there, and the recored of maximum number of sixes off one over was marked. None of the formats of this great game, will ever lose its luster in any condition. Even we could expect more number of sixes in the upcoming WC in England where damp and green pitches are most common.

Playing without Pakistan players is really disappointing. Pakistanis done well throughout the 1st season, especially Tanvir (great bowling) and Rawilpini-Express (manintained a good economy rate). Tanvir who was one of the key for Royals' success in the previous season will not be here to trouble the batsmen so, Warney is gonna have a hard time for the first few games.

Well this might sound to be a political statement, but I hope this would be published.

Some people from across the border either are ill informed about the happenings in the past or they just try to write something that makes anyone feel so.
Coming to comment from Mr Farooq Tahir at April 13, 2009 4:35 AM, I would like to tell him that in case a person is ill informed, it would be better not to write at all. What he says is totally wrong and the correct sequence of things actually is :
1. It was the Pakistan Govt who barred the Pak players from playing in IPL. It was not the IPL authorities or the Indian Govt who barred them.
2. Yes, PCB and may be, Pak Govt tried to sneak in a few Pak players for IPL when it was declared that IPL would be hosted by South Africa. But my friends across the border should be aware of the fact that by then, all the franchise teams were announced already and the team selection in IPL is not like any other team selection, it takes lot of formalities.

Cricket is my passion..i just love to play and watch cricket...IPL has brought a great revolution in all the countries..this time it will be played in SA..Last time it was much more globolised...but this time i don't think it will be like thaT as it was last time...anyway all the best for the IPL.....

The second season of IPL will be INDIA it must be graceful but unfortunately it went to South Africa any way i think it will be fascinating in south africa also and all the best for Mumbai Indians because the great Sachin and Sanath is there.

Well...IPL first edition was totally breath taking. It had everything...the drama, the suspense and the slumdog winners Rajistan Royals...As far as the second edition, i hope to see the same environmet that was there for the first edition. But with the current situation and political scenario between Pakistan and India, it seems like Pakistani players will be left out of this second edition even the IPL being hosted in South Africa. During first edition, we all saw the blazing performances by Sohail Tanvir and couple of good performance by Umar Gul, Salman Butt and Shoaib Akhtar. It looks like the slogan we all cricket fans shout, "CRICKET IS THE WINNER" is falling out due to political scenarios between Pakistan and India...

The best success formula for IPL would have been to have only one match between each team since there are no home and away games and one match per day.Add an extra team like a world20/20 11 by asking each team to donate 2 foreign players from their squads.Let the matches start at 8pm IST .This would have created a lot of interest.Most of the domestic players are unknown and no where close to international standard ,i dont think SA public will come to the ground to watch Indian Domestic players ,So its good to increase the number of foreign players per team to 5 .

Rajasthan royals was the best team in the first edition of ipl.So what if you don't have sohail tanvir.But this present team has the leadership of shane warne who is cricket almighty and have a good capability of captaincy.So i wish a best of luck to RR to win the 2nd edition of IPL & give us a surprise performances as they did in the first season.God Bless and again wish you all the best.

This is not a great idea at all to conduct such a big event in Sout Africa and without Pakistani players and umpires. Being a Pakistani I have no interest in this event at all. There should not be any politics in Sports but I feel sorry becuase of few peoples we are suffering..

I dont understand why Pakistan fans have to come and whinge about Pakistan players not playing in IPL. If they are so disappointed then they need to ask Pak govt who banned them.

Coming back to topic off course I am disappointed with IPL moving to SA. I did watch few games last year at FerozeShah Kotla and it was fun. The good thing is that upcoming Indian players will have good chance to practice and play in foreign conditions. I will def. be following IPL with similar enthusiasm as last year.

Last year it was a great success. This year it will again be successful but hardly any Pakistani will watch. I even do not remember when it is gonna start, now i have read that it will start on saturday.Anyhow good luck. We will follow it on cricinfo and watch Aus-Pak series.

IPL matches have not been planned at the right time. There was no need to expose your talent-plus or minus points keeping in view the forthcoming 20-20 world cup. Indis will be the worst sufferer as all the best players would be participating whereas it will not be the same with the other countries. Anyhow, do not complaint just enjoy every game.

I think IPL will be fun no matter if there is any pakistani player or not. I think last year except for sohail tanvir no body from pak added to any team's arsenal. And organiser cant do anything if Pak Board themselves deny them of taking part in this year's IPL. I guess we all will see pakistani players in the World 20Twenty again but may not be in the final

No Shahid Afridi, No Ricky Ponting, No Symonds, No Shane Watson, No sohail Tanwir, No Brett Lee etc etc. Its like watching 20/20 Ranji Trophy in South Africa.

Hi Every one. I would like to thank the man whoever is behind this IPL. IPL not only makes cricket exciting but also helps the budding cricketers. If you take the lates example Kamran Khan no body ever knew him . Today Warne openly said in media he will be one of the key man..Imagine if IPL wasn't der we may not have heard of this boy for years..same way look at the confidence level of Yousuf Patha, Raina's etc..Long live IPL..I just love watching it

Australia will be dominating this years IPL like last years, even though the big guns arent playing...and South Africa for the first time will also be up there as it is at home for them..i tip Warnies Royals to go back-to-back

I foresee IPL 3 will be much more tough & Team India will benefit a lot from IPL2. it will good to watch IPL2 before T20 World Cup. Happy to note worldwide cricket is growing rapidly for each team to have a hunger to perform. Glad that on "merits" guys are selected than on push.

I believe second season will be as exciting as the first one. The major audience being the TV audience, the viewership will not lessen much. The sporting nature of SA wickets will add to the challenge. I am sure everyone was awed by the success of first season and will continue to flock the stadiums wherever the tournament takes place. IPL organisers would have due diligence in putting right strategies to attract crowds. Also this season the teams look more closer in terms of strengths and it will be take a long way into the tournament before we know who will be the champion. I will keenly follow the contest and will keep posting my views.

now there is nothing indian in indian permier league...it sucks tat it played in other nation.plz dont allow pakistani players or else it will be shame to India...there govt will not take any action against terrorist and they want to allow there players to play...stupid country i hate pakistan.

I love IPL, It's like watching a exicting for three hours and know the result at the end. It is one kind of enjoyment. IPL timing will effect us to see the game.Ofcourse Test cricket is test cricket, this is one game has no compare to other nor full fill by any game. I wish all the team sucess specially "Kolkata Knit Rider".

warne sir,
match against cobra why you are not use khan leftarm seamer full of 4 overs.he bowled beautifully.
sidhart trivedi also bowled well.he will traind maintain to yorker length of delivery.
thaking you.
j.balaji

Sure, we all wanted it to be in India again, but the show must go on. Last year, I attended the IPL semi finals and finals in Mumbai. That was an absolutely spectacular experience for me. I am from America and had never seen live professional cricket. What a place to see it first. Anyway, I am heading to Cape Town to see the opening matches on 18 & 19 April and the beauty of Cape Town. Another first for me, so I will truly love and appreciate it. Go Chennai Superkings!!!!!!! I absolutely love Dhoni and anything he does turns to gold. Just enjoy it everyone, next year I will see you back in India. Chak De!!

need some more team & some more international players to make it more exciting...if possible merge the ICL players with IPL.

We wanted it to be in india so that i could watch one or two matches for kolkata knight riders.
But i absoleutly loved IPL,Shaun marsh Playing well,Shane and dhoni's captaincy.Local bengali Laxminathan shukla playing well.
And i like IPL so much

It will be another great season, i disagree with most of the comments in this. Pakistan aren't playing because the Pakistan board won't let them which is disapointing but I don't think it will really change much, no matter how much i will miss watching Sohail Tanvir bowl for the royals. Go Rajasthan!

I am a great fan of indian cricket for nearly 15 years.It is great that our board has arranged something like IPL to improve the county cricket in India and in bringing young talents.These young guns can learn a lot through this,which they did last year.We got some good players like Yusuf Pathan,Jadeja,Mishra and few others.Even players like Raina,Munaf improved a lot after that.I really hope that this year also we will get some new talents emerging like Murali Vijay and Kamran Khan.I am a Chennai superking fan.I am looking forward to their first match against my LOVE Sachin's Mumbai Indians.Alraedy it is the IPL fever that is running all over INDIA.But it would have even greater if the matches are played in INDIA.Any way looking forward to all these.I am also happy to thank cricinfo for providing opportunities for people like me to share my comments on this beatiful game.Looking forward to all these. Come INDIA!!!

this time win by ipl mumbai indians i love tendulkar this time sachin and jayasurya is in good fom

ICL rocks.. IPL is just hype - no cricket

watch it..and bet IPL will be remembered as the revolution in the cricketing world after 20-30 years...EPL changed football...IPL is going to change the face of cricket,as more countries will get to know it..they can spare time for 3 hour extravaganza..then who knows it will become a part of olympics..in the whole scenario,india will be bosting to have created the magic.surely,new viewers will like it and in sport fanatic nations like argentina,brazil,france,germany,china...fever of cricket will rise!
Rajasthan royals were champions from the tag of underdogs last time..this time its tough..as it will miss services of watson,tanveer,akmal etc..i am desperate to see kamran khan and henderson in action.
I was disappointed to haer that IPL was goin' to SA..as i told my friend(who lives near SMS stadium,jaipur)to book the tickets for opening match..which was due there..but now i will support my favourite players(N OF 'COZ RR)..
HALLA BOL.........................

i think that second season of ipl may not be popular than its first season because in SA there are no audience like india and the second major factor is the absensce of key players of pakistan like sohail tanvir, shoaib akhtar, shahid afridi, mohammad asif, salman butt, shoab malik and umer gul and the other international players who will miss the most of the matches like brett lee, shane watson etc.i think BCCI should allow the pakistani players to play in the ipl and be kind to icl players too.

no prediction about winner becauese in T20 you can not predict any thing but i feel that kolkata, chennai, mumbai and banglore will play semi finals.so best of luck to all teams.

I wanted to clear something up. Those of you that think that the IPL ruined the SL test series, you are wrong. When the IPL was organized that series was not on the calendar. So please stop cribbing about it already

I will b attending the 1st 2 days of thf IPL in Cape Town. I play club cricket and watch as much of the game as possible. Jus 2 let u know that 90 % of all tickets have already been sold 4 all games. We in SA love this game just as much as the rest of the world. A big thanks 4 the IPL choosing the most beautifull city in the world 2 host the opening matches 4 the 2nd season of IPL. It will b great and Cape Town and South Africa will make the world proud once again by hostin anotha succesfull event. PS. I will not b thinking of those that never got tickets 2 see the games live.

Unexpectedly but fortunately, IPL has been moved out of India. This gives a chance for the organizers to globalize not just the tournament but the game itself. With the game having so much of excitement and the advantage of getting over within a few hours, the game can stretch out to nations that were not adopting this game.

If IPL in South Africa becomes a super-hit, then the organizers may mull over having the third edition of the tournament in yet another country. If not, they can at least have an shorter overseas tourney in addition to the "Indian" Premier League.

Who knows... IPL might become a big hit in US or Japan very soon.

Unexpectedly but fortunately, IPL has been moved out of India. This gives a chance for the organizers to globalize not just the tournament but the game itself. With the game having the advantage of getting over within a few hours garnished loads of excitement, it can stretch out to non-cricketing nations as well.

If IPL in South Africa becomes a super-hit, then the organizers may mull over having the third edition of the tournament in yet another country. If not, they can at least have a shorter overseas tourney in addition to the "Indian" Premier League.

Who knows... IPL might become a big hit in US or Japan very soon.

itz bit sad dat IPL has been moved out of india buh i thnk itz rite coz security cumz first...cricket gonna be vricket doesnt matter ver it gonna played..wtz important is tru spirit...datz all....hope everyone enjoy dis season...

Its realy wonderful to see.....im counting the days.....I hope the inagural T20 will commence & end up in peacefully and greatly..... Thank you.

Hi, to all cricket lovers. I am so Excited that IPL has gain that hight.. which has turned everyone's Interest Back into Cricket.. I really love cricket no matter who plays, as a cricketer in United States Chicago Illinois, we do play leagues here and we never give importance to player over Cricket.. this is the code of ethics, I hope folks from other side of the world know that cricket is been there for long time not the players..

Can any Nation can Imagine that in a two year of span IPL has gone in to millions of people's mind and they are excited too as much as you and i.. let it go buddy just watch the excitement and the show must go on.. with us or without us..

This time i would really like to see a better cricket in South Africa IPL 20/20..

I love to watch IPL...............and i have started the reverse counting.Pakistani players will be missed.........but IPL will be rocking like last year.........ROYALS will be crowned victoriuos again.(INSHA-ALLAH).

To the endless whining of T20 destroying Test Cricket, I'd start by saying "Its the format, silly. Not the same apples". I am sure some of them may have whined about The Beatles destroying Mozart and Beethoven!
That said, I'm no fan of IPL and T20s, but the last season has been sufficiently intriguing to see a new format evolve and captivate audiences- beyond borders of nationality (cliche as it sounds) and elitism of skill sets. RR's win was a captivating story and Vijay Mallaya's team was a revealation that the best recipes served with a beautiful ambience at no expenses spared still does not gurantee the best dining experience.
I have come to look at the brighter side of things and hoping the SA experience will add a new dimension this season. Lalit Modi, has atleast one thing to be admired- courage.

Look forward to the rendevouz.

i think 2nd season wil have lesser fan folowin reasoning to that in south africa most of the games wil low scorin due to pace nd bounce as we saw in last world cup...And evry wants to see lots of sixes nd fours

IPL in SA is a good challenge for local young indain talents to gain experience, rather than playing in same indian soil. some adv n dis adv are there. but no other choice.
I hardly belive and warn other IPL teams to watchout for Bangalore RC. They will surely rock with stars like KP, Ryder, Steyn, Van der we. Rajasthan royals this year surely cant make it. CSK having bright chances too with flintoff n albie morkel, the 2 big best all rounders in the world makes huge difference.

Cheers

May I know the reason why Pakistani players arent playing? Isn't it against the spirit of the Game?

yeah, 20-20 has been a great fun for all of cricket lovers. People should understand that 20-20 is not to replace test cricket but for support for long lasting of the test cricket by attracting more people towards cricket. I am excitingly waiting to watch IPL second edition

i am a big fan of IPL and i do believe IPL-2 will be big sucess in South Africa like last year. I will try to watch all the matches,i live in dubai and for us the matches start at 7 pm,so very convinient time to catchup with matches after office hours.I support Deccan chargers team,even though we did poorly last year,i am excited and believe with our new captain Gilchrist and players like simonds,VVS laxman,Rahul sharma,chaminda vas,Gibbs this year we can win the IPL.

Hello friends! Well I feel IPL this year is a hit already considering the buzz all around. Remember, T20 world cup was in the same country and was a great hit that season. And let me tell you, wherever these Indian cricketers go, they can attract a decent crowd.
Apart from that, for many, again the Rajasthan Royals looks like underdogs as they might not have the services of Watson and Tanvir on the S.African tracks, but let me remind you, they have Tait and Morne. Both are among the top 5 fastest of the world. And there is much buzz about Kamran already. And everyone knows about Smith, Yusuf, Maschrenhas, Jadeja and Swapnil. So for me they are the favourites.
My second favourite is Mumbai Indians. Sachin, Sanath, Zaheer, Malinga, Dumminy, Bravo and some mumbaiyas such as Abhishek, Rahane, Dhawal. Its a surprise pack.
Dare Devils and Chennai have the similar chances. Kings XI are a tad behind in pace attack. Well rest will compete for the pride I guess.

Get ready for the action.

I think KAMRAN KHAN will be the hero in the IPL.Waiting desperately to see his bowling. Hope he will be in the Indian team soon...

It is sad to see so many comments about BCCI not allowing Pakistani players to play in the second edition of IPL. But the truth is that PCB didn't allow the players to play in IPL

i don't know how y'all like it, but i have been waiting fot it from when it ended.

I am avid sports fan. I watched almost all the sports live ranging from cricket @ eden gardens to soccer @emirates to Halifax Mooseheads @ metro centre (ice hockey). Every sport brings in a unique experience but nothing can be compared to watching a cricket match in India. As a ordianary person, watching a cricket match itself is true fun. Watching it live in the huge stadium with thousands of people and with good music playing all the time and seeing your favourite stars is truly an un believable experience.. Thanks to IPL, for making all these things happen at the same time.

As far as IPL in South Africa is concerned, I don`t think its much fun for a locals as its like watching a exhibition match without caring about the result and watching for sixes and fours. Its like a playing a match between Glamorgan v Somerset @ chepauk where people do come to see cricket but dont care much about the result.

IPL tournment in SA will be altogether a different kind of exposure to the upcoming players who are part of IPL.It will be exciting to know how do they perform in SA and so I am eagerly waiting for it.

I understand that the restriction on Pakistani cricketers was basically traveling to India. Now that the IPL is being staged outside of India, shouldn't Pakistani players be allowed to play by their respective franchises? Or do the IPL organizers not want to associate with anything Pakistani, regardless of the location?

I think it is sad that after the change of venue, the Pakistani players were not allowed to participate. It just goes to show how politics influences the state of affairs. The Pakistani team might as well be banned from international cricket of the team members are not good enough to play on neutral venues with other international cricketers.

I see a few Pakistani raising their concerns regarding Pakistani players not participating in this years IPL. However, I would like to mention that IPL can be successful without Pakistani fan base because IPL didn't have that much of Pakistani draw last year anyways.

What must be said is that a large number of fan base will miss a few high performing Pakistani players like Tanvir and Gul.

To those who say that this season's ipl will not be that successful coz of lack of audience let me remind you that 95% of last years audience were television viewers only and it will remain the same this year. To Farooq Tahir comments--
You will not be missed. It is you own boards decision. I am glad no pakistani player is playing this season.Does any one feel for the relatives of those who lost their lives in that incident. Cricket is not bigger than those innocent lives.
Good or bad ipl moved out of india. That shows we are a true democratic nation. Any one can go against govt will unlike other pseudo democratic nations
Jai HO

IPL is cricket's new dimension.For people who compare cricket with other shorter and fast paced games like baseball and American football, 20-20 is the right medicine.IPL makes it fancier and of course creates a lot of money,Obviously copied from the NBA and the NFL.I am sure it is going to be a resounding success like last year.
About myself, I am an avid cricket fan in the US who follows cricket in any form.
All the best to all the teams and may the best team win.

I got my Delhi DareDevils T-Shirt and all set for next two months of excitement. Jai Ho!

i might be watching ipl this season not present at games but on tv because i live in toronto canada. so i dont most of the pakistani's are not going to watch every match this year because they romoved pakistani players. tanvir had a great season which he lead his team to the winning. and if bowlers like him or shoaib are not there or even gul then no point of watching. if the matches were be held in india then it makes sense to take pakistani players out but if somewere out of india then they should have been playing. lets see what happens but not going to join as much as i did last year i know. thats about it

I'm a proud Kiwi looking forward to another awesome year of thi IPL. I'm waiting to see some of the new up and coming stars of cricket such as JP Duminy (who has been in good form for SA)and Jesse Ryder (who took apart the indian bowlers with his maiden 100 and 200 in the test series)along with the old favourites from last year.

GO KOLKATA!!!

McCullum and Gayle opening for Kolkata, just as good, if not better, than Sehwag and Gambhir for Delhi

Great concept to involve fans - but, what about the fanatic fans who cannot go to South Africa - and yet want to be read on cricket(IPL-Non IPL does not matter) at times (without the pay of course!)?

Cricket is cricket and crowd makes it more exciting so this time round it may not be the same for IPL as most of the crowd would not know the players other then international stars, the pressure on the players will not be the same as back in India. I am expecting a good cricket, hope SA can make it better and can handle the expectations.

I dont agree with some of the audience who said that IPL2 is not going to be rocking like its 1st edition and without Pakistani players its going to be further backward. We the cricket fans are not here to bargain about the political issues of Pakistan and India. PCB restricted their players before auction and thats it. The whole world is there, moreover hundreds of talented players from all over the cricketing world are participating here. We the fans can not wait any longer for the tournament to be commenced. Lots of buzz already heated out there before the tournament started. KKR's multi-leader theory, BRC's KP centered winning formula, Mumbai's very exciting team, DD's world's best opening pair along with the pigeon and lots more exciting players, Punjab's promise to do better than last year and finally RR's statement of playing as champion. Its like heats are surrounding from all corner and its ready to be melted. We are eagerly waiting for the tournament to take place! Go KKR go.

I am currently in Sydney Australia, and I will be watching the IPL for sure no matter where it is staged

I'm a Pakistani living in US...For those who think Pakistanis are whining about Pak players not being allowed to play, they need to understand that the ban was only if IPL was to be played in India - as the elections and the recent treatment of the Pakistani artists would've made it hard for Indian govt itself to make any "fairness" guarantees. PCB granted NOCs to Pakistani players as the venue got shifted to SA, but Lalit Modi and the Indian politics wouldn't let it happen anyways.

As for IPL, my affiliations with Pakistani players bridged gaps between me and their Indian teammates, ultimately me becoming a big fan of the likes of Sehwag, Dhoni, Yuvi, etc. but during this season there wouldn't be a sense of "belonging". I'd like it much more when Pakistani players are given their fair chance w/o any politics...in fact cricket IS the bridge that always bridges the gaps b/w the two nations, which are created by politics on both sides.

I am planning to change my shift and class timings. Don't want to miss the excitement.

I was amazed to know that lots of indian were watching IPL season 1 in US..my friend who hails from gujrat,now in atlanta(US)told me that.I can only expect to grow it..i hope when african players from nigeria,namibia will take cricket as professional,it will be global in true terms.
Asia has seen growth of cricket the most in past century,though it emanated from england.why it has not affected france,spain etc?
whereas apart from IND,PAK,SL,BAN...UAE,hong-kong,malaysia,nepal,now even afghanistan has shown some level and desire for cricket.
i was amazed by the performance of afghanistan in the world cup qualifiers..thogh they missed a birth for world cup 2011,they were superb;beating ireland.noor ali scoring 122..well done afghanistan!!!
so...IPL needs to globalize cricket unlike england,who were dormant in this regard.
Talking of IPL season 2,i think CSK has an edge over all,DD too looks good,but in 20-20 u can't predict winner.thats the beauty of it.But my money is on RR.
IPL ROCKZ.

since now you have to order it i would rather not watch it, ps nhl playoffs will be on, best league in the world. and btw its free to watch!

Go Red Wings!

I have seen IPL last time and it was a great entertainment for me.I am a great fan of Chennai SuperKIngs and i hope that they will win this years IPL.I would have been very happy if IPL had been held in India as I was planning to go to the stadium for some of the matches held in Chennai.With the introduction of the England Players and the great form of the Indian Cricketers IPL will surely be a big hit even if it is held in South Africa.Chennai superkings and M.S.Dhoni will be the champions.

Well i think IPL is the best fooder for T20 fans, as almost every match goes down the wire and suddenly u start nail bitting thats real fun of T20 and IPL is the my favorite T20 torunament

since now you have to order it i would rather not watch it, ps nhl playoffs will be on, best league in the world. and btw its free to watch!

Go Red Wings!

I'm a great fan of IPL & Rajasthan royals and insha allah rajashtan will repeat the magic of 2008

Though I live by test cricket, I enjoy and follow all sorts of cricket. So, I am all geared up to cheer IPL. Last time I was cheering Sachin's Mumbai team and Rajathan Royals and was very happy to see the latter win (I would have been happier if Sachin's team had won!). I haven't picked up a side as yet. But it will be either Sachin's team, Rajasthan Royals or Dhoni's team- Chennai I suppose. Btw, does anyone know what time matches will start as per the US time (East coast)? I'm thinking of buying the IPL package at willow TV, but want to make sure that I can follow them. Hurrah! Watching cricket, playing tennis, and eating falafel is my definition of happy these days :-)

I'm a great fan of IPL & Rajasthan royals and insha allah rajashtan will repeat the magic of 2008

Kamran Khan is a one of aggrasive player , I know him very well, He is a very good batsman too. I am sure he will be win the indian hearts by his performance. I wish him all the way, well done Kamran. I am your friend Bablu from Fatehpur, go ahead with lot of pray from us. chak de india thanks......Bablu

IPL or ICL without Pakistani players will be very boring >I mean check out the last season of these matches Pakistani player was always on top whether it was sohail Tanweer or Imran Nazir or Razzaq they were from the same nation .So to raise the level these players should have been included but now they are not there i wont be seeing IPL this year.

tata

IPL SECOND EDITION WILL BE A GREAT SUCCESS. THIS IS THE EVENT IN WHICH PLAYERS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIS WILL PLAY TOGETHER. IT IS VERY WELL PLANNED TOURNAMENT. CRICKET LOVERS ALLL OVER THE WORLD WILL ENJOY IT.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE TEAMS.
SHIRISH J BUCH(RAJKOT)

Hi. Im a huge cricket fan and i really enjoy the IPL. Im from South Africa and im totally thrilled that the IPL is being held here. It gives us a chance to experience it first-hand and im loving every moment of it so far.

I think the IPL is going to be a huge success here in SA because not only do we have a huge cricket following, we also have a huge indian fan base and the matches have been selling out really fast. Its definitely going to be amazing!

This will be better than before i guess, due the quality of cricket we will see. Many franchisees have made the corrections, and this time we will more intense competition. The only hunch is the day night matches, day night games have their own charisma, we will miss that.

Deccan Chargers Vs Nashua Titans
A practise match was held between Nashua Titans(SA’s T20 Champions) Vs Deccan Chargers at the Centurion.
The Titans batted first and made a modest 99 runs. Pragyan Ojha, Scott Styrischipped in to take wickets. RP singh did not bowl up to his usual standard. The pick of the bowlers was Manvinder Bisla.
He will be a bowler to watch out from the Deccan Chargers. His line and length was perfect and he also took a great catch.
Gilly opened the batting and was out for a duck. The chargers made 186 runs in the allocated 20 overs. Scott Styris top scoring 51(retired).
A reception was held by the NRI community after the match followed by a dinner with the team.
There were nearly 300 people from India living in Gauteng came to support the team with some locals cheering along.
It was fun to watch some South African learning to shout support in Hindi.

Charger's bowling looked good and batting needs to improve.

I think the charm of this IPL edition might go down becoz big names of cricket game like shoaib akhter,ricky ponting,M.Hussy and Last year's ipl best bowler Sohail Tanveer will not be part of tournament.Lalit Modi should take this notice in orfer to make IPL2009 better than previous.Cricket fans around world who like to watch thies players in this game,even the young cricketers of Sukkur city(Sukkur is the city of pakistan in Sindh Province)like Nadeem Dahar,Rameez Dahar,Waqar Dahar,Abdul Sami Memon,Naveed Dahar,Zaheer Dahar,Saleem Dahar,Akber Dahar,Ghaffar Dahar,Fareed Dahar, and all residents of Barrage Colony Sukkur are mad about IPL,therefore please include all cricketers to make IPl Successful then everbefore.
Muhammad Nadeem Dahar
Captain of Sukkur Cricket Team
NSB 11.
Cell: +923342914213
Vice Captain: Raseed Dahar

I live in Australia. Even if I did live in South Africa, I would never be able to write for the IPL, given my fairly limited control over the language, and my rather sparse knowledge of cricket. But, let me tell you, I am looking forward to the tournament, and I hope they discover a few really exciting players. The IPL tournament is exciting and fast, but above all, it seems to have a wonderful ability to unearth fresh talent. Can't wait, folks, just can't wait.

THIS TIME IPL WILL BE THE HUGE SUCESS IN SA

IPL is going to be a huge success this year. All the big names of cricket are going to participate in this event. Its going to be pressure on performance as the world is watching the players who have expensive price tags. Hope they'll live up to the expectation. Those players who wanted to stay away from IPL 2nd edition, i would like to term it as " Fear of Failure"

last year delhi made it 2 the semis... this time i hope they go a step ahead... this year's ipl will still b a success no matter where it is being played... there will be the same enthusiasm and will be an ideal prep 4 the t20 wc....

An other excitement of IPL is going to start now. Although I am a great fan of Pakistan Cricket team but i also admire and love good cricket. And tahts why i will follow this IPL as another excitement Rajistan will be my team in this contest along with Kolkata Knight Riders an other favorite of mine. But i will miss Big Pakistani Satars like Shoiab, Misbah, Tanveer in this edition, I come to know that some other big names like KP, Flintoff and Ricky Ponting will also missed out this edition if that will happen than it realy hurts IPL fans and IPL as well.
On Pakistani players matter I thinks that politics is hurting cricket which is not a good news. Cricket is a game of gentlemen and it should be kept safe from Politics.

Well I live in Johannesburg. I am a huge cricket fan, passionate about the game. I feel the move of the IPL is a huge opportunity for us the South African public to witness this cricket spectacle, when the tickets go out tomorrow for the Wanderers games I plan to attend one group game and either the final or semi-final. I am an aspiring journalist currently studying towards obtaining a BA in communication science so this would be a huge opportunity for me.

Despite being more a Test Match Spectator I am looking forward to seeing the best players from around the globe in the IPL - and believe South AFricans will go in Huge numbers to support it

I am a regular contributor to Cricinfo. I enjoy Cricinfo a lot. It provides us with lots of information, especially the nice trivia and stats. The Indian Premier League will be a big success this year. I think either Delhi or Chennai will win this year's edition and the man of the series will be A Morkel/JP Duminy/AB de Villiers/J Ryder/R Ashwin!

Hi all Hope this year would be a different show of IPL... The Conditions are entirely different for our Home Players.. But I think they will Fight for the best... Expecting a new team to Imerge as IPL winners... All the best From my side for the New comers to this Season... Hope we will have good entertainment...

I have a gut feeling that the RC Bangalore will come up with a lotta surprises this time around. Ryder, Taylor, KP, Utappa have been in awesome form over the last cricket season. Not to forget the bowling of Steyn.

Posted by: Josh at April 11, 2009 11:17 PM

My IPL experience is pretty brief. I've never watched a match and never will because test cricket is real cricket.

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There's an arrogance in your statement saying "test cricket a real cricket". If you're a good cricket, you're good at playing all forms of cricket. Beside, test match is for pentioners or someone who's nothing to do. In today's fast-paced life, no one can devote 5 whole days worth of time merely to watch a match, that can often be predicted from 3rd day onwards & often culminates into draw. Test match's a beach & beer Victorian format of cricket. People need to move on with times !!!

IPL is a wonderful innovation, and I have a few smart picks of my own. Having seen last year's tourney it will be interesting to see if Captains employ more cricketing tactics this year or just allow the game to flow. You can expect a few articles from the Caribbean side of the world.

I was in hyderabad when the chargers faced daredevils.I distinctly remember sehwag's shock at(he pleaded the spectators for an applause) the cold attitude from us-the audience-for a knock which would have made the crowd go mad had it been for INDIA.It is really unfortunate that IPL had to be shifted to SA especially when such club loyalty was developing among the spectators.But SA has always been a great stage for cricket.A T20 record of 300 being successfully chased is always on the cards at jo'burg.I feel an exciting second edition is on cards,unfortunately we wouldnt be in the stadium..guess sehwag would be hoping to feel at home this time around.

Its really wonderful see legends of the game-warne and mcgrath-in action at least once an year even after retirement..If anyone is listening this is on behalf of every fan of pure talent-"Please get LARA on board"We miss him a lot .

If we think about possibility of success then I would say defending champion RR are without their last year's two vital players (Watson and Tanvir). So, it will be tough for them to repeat that heroics. Specially they will miss Watson very much. Dhoni's Chennai and Yuvi's Kings XI are two very balanced sides and any of them can steal the light of show. Mumbai made an excellent team this year and they will be boosted by the availability of the two key players Sachin and Bhajji along with JP Duminy's home advantage. On the other hand DD has a team which can destroy any bowling attack and similarly McGrath lead bowling attack is ready to role it. However, the KKR has the advantage of devastating McCullum for full season, Gayle for initial part, followed by in form Ganguly and then Hodge who is known as one of the best T20 player. These four heroes will be followed by Pujara, Shukla/Saha, Agarkar, Mortaza(explosive all roundeer)/Langavelt, Sharma, Murali Kartik. What a team! KKR will rock!

IPL is only fun, money, drama, etc. not a classical cricket. I think the real cricket is only TEST Cricket. We miss to see the huge Indian crowd this time in this IPL event. So, this time the event will not be getting too much success as comapred to the last year event.

In my opinion, the format of the event is not suitable. There are too many matches in this event. I think whole event will be finished within 15 days. Every TEST nation have to organized this type of event every year. Enjoy the fun!

well..this blog is about sharing our IPL experiences and how we see them.I want to tell that in IPL season 1,my nephew from kolkata teased me a lot when cheapest team -rajasthan royals got not so hyped players.after the first match he missed called me.u remembered the first match?mccullum smashing 158* and knight riders winning in style.in the first match of royals daredevils thrashed them,he again missed called me.perhaps he wanted to show royals was in existence because of lalit modi;may be quite right,but he hurted me somehow.But as the tournament progressed we all know what happened,royals went on to win and knight riders were inconsistent.I ,then used to miss call him every time royals won,especially when royals won from knight riders.remember the match when yousuf pathan took the game away?even feud between warne and ganguly added to it.
but looking at IPL 2,i think this time i wont do that;whether royals win or loose,'coz in IPL-1,it's proved that never underestimate anyone.

IPL(indian premier league) is now IPL(international premier league).
i just want to say,that after 2,3 years i will like to see IPl two times an year,like EPL.christiano ronaldo is attached with heart to manchester,because he lives there for about 9 months.he is into charities and other programs of manchester.can we hope same for gilchrist or pietersen os gayle??

I think deccan will do much better than the last season full faith in GILI

I had the most terrible experience of watching an IPL match in Chennai last year. I paid Rs.1000 for a ticket at a stand that offered poor viewing and appalling amenities - not even a fan in the sweltering heat. I never had any idea what the score was. The scoreboard opposite my stand was so small that I needed binoculars to see it. I got ripped off and I vowed never to go to another live match. The ticket I bought was not even worth Rs.100.

Personally I dont care if its 20-20 or ODI or Test cricket...I just love to watch cricket played anywhere around the world...but I think this time excitement among people of India will not be the same as last year...But I am happy as its coming live in australia & I am looking forward to it...

to be honet ipl was very boring last year out ov the 53 match how many match does any1 remember baring the final
not a single match,,, the icl league is much more exciting n has had better finishes,
and with out pakistani players it ant the same obviously,

This season IPL will be sucess and also more important is that junior players will get a experience to play in international pitches.

Anyone else been contacted to write reports of the "IPL fan experience" and been blown off? I replied four days ago and nothing has come to fruition. Bitterly disappointed. To be fair, perhaps they forgot or plan on contacting us the day before? Not sure, really.

This Years IPL is Going to ROCK all around the Glob........... "The Chennai Super Kings" has got the "Best of the Best" Line up to clinch the Title..........

Those who think IPL is ruining cricket and test cricket is the essence of cricket need to wake up and smell the coffee. IPL is here to stay, just like one day cricket before it. Cricket as a sport needs to evolve if it is to grow in the 21st century. Nowadays most people cant be bothered to watch 5 days of batsmen defending ball after ball. Throughout history there have always been idiots who opposed progress, and IPL is no exception.

Its sad IPL has to be played outside India. I think it will still be a success, though to a much smaller degree than last year. But at least the batsmen now get to play under different conditions, which might add more twists to the outcome.

Pity the Pakistani players were banned by their govt from playing. IPL will miss them, and I'm sure they'll miss IPL.

IPL is the best you can ever watch and enjoy.But disappointed without some pakistan players not playing is a minus point.Specially we looking forward for a good competition and i would prefer if 5 to 6 foreign players can play in a game.And i knw its gonna rock but i request the IPL Management look into my view and consider in future season.My love and excitement towards IPL is 1000% and i jus love it and wanting MUMBAI INDIANS to win it, i am eager to watch SACHEIN SANATH open,GAYLE MACULLUM to open....hip hip hurray IPL

IPL - II should be as equally exciting as the first edition if not more.Can't wait to see the action

IPL..this year is going to be better...every team got stronger than last year...so better cricket & more sixers...

the worst thing is 7 1/2min break, it spoils the team momentum & rhythm of the players

On Monday I went to watch the Big Show, and what fun it was. Music, noise, atmosphere, fireworks. I have always said that a night out to St Georges Park, home of one of the worst and most entertaining bands in the world, is huge fun, and if all else fails, one can even look at the cricket.

The IPL adds legends on the field. In January I did not think I would cheer Matthew Hayden playing a wonderful innings at St Georges Park, I certainly did not think that I would be dissapointed to see Kevin Pietersen score a duck. Mind you, I already heard the most amazing thing, Pietersen describing my country as a wonderful country.

The joy of watching all this is that being essectially neutral (for now) I can appreciate great play from anybody, without any of it being a dagger in my heart - Pietersen's wonderful batting in South Africa a couple of seasons ago stil hurts.

Some things still confuse me. Having watched South Africa of all countries play three spin bowlers in a T20 international, how come all the experts talk abuout pace being the key when spinners seem to be confusing batsmen more than ever? Would the Royal Chalenge have done better with Van der Merwe rather than Ross Taylor? And what is the throy of batting Dravid down the order. Surely the best batting order should be Dravid opening, Kallis either opening or number 3, Pietersen number 4.

While we are on Kallis, one day I hope Kallis will prove me wrong, but the best Test player in the world just cannot get a grip on T20, although his brief innings did provide some hope.

regards