| Cricket can easily claim to be one of the leading | | | | The IPL T20 league currently comprises of 8 |
| religions in India where people from all communities, | | | | franchise teams affiliated to 8 major cities in India. |
| casts, religion or race come together with a single | | | | The total bench strength of each team is 16 players |
| cohesive voice without the fear of having to sound | | | | (minimum) plus one physiotherapist and a coach. A |
| politically or religiously incorrect. | | | | team can have a maximum of 10 overseas players in |
| The fever pitch of this madness can be best | | | | the squad and no more than 4 in the playing XI. A |
| experienced in an Indian cricket ground where | | | | minimum of 8 local players in each squad and at least |
| thousands of cricket crazy fans root for one team | | | | 2 players from the BCCI under-22 pool need to be in |
| with one voice. | | | | a team. |
| This voice has been given an entirely new dimension | | | | The inaugural season IPL T20 - 1 was held in April |
| by the Indian version of Twenty20 cricket - The | | | | 2008, the second season IPL T20 - 2 was held in |
| Indian Premiere League (IPL). IPL T20 is a 20 over | | | | April 2009 in South Africa and the third season IPL |
| per side cricket match created by the Board of | | | | T20 - 3 is currently underway in India. This mega |
| Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It is the most | | | | event has got the entire nations imagination and |
| watched domestic T20 cricket competition, targeting | | | | adrenalin going. The first two rounds of this event - |
| prime time television audiences in India and around | | | | IPL Season 1 and IPL Season 2, were thumping |
| the world. | | | | successes where the result was decided in the last |
| IPL T20 is based on the lines of the European soccer | | | | ball of the final match ensuring a nail-biting finish. The |
| leagues like the English Premiere League (EPL) where | | | | third leg of this event - IPL Season 3, is slowly |
| franchise owners in an annual auction bid for the | | | | gathering momentum. |
| overseas and domestic players. Each team franchise | | | | If the Season 1, Season 2 are anything to go by and |
| was up for sale in an auction held in early 2008. | | | | the Season 3 slowly but surely heating up, fans and |
| Bollywood superstars and business tycoons queued | | | | loyalties switching sides, victors and under-dogs |
| up to buy these teams. This in turn has ensured that | | | | swapping places on the points table, then I won't be |
| IPL is not short of any glamour, fashion, beauty and | | | | surprised if Season 3 is a far bigger success than the |
| all the fireworks money can buy. | | | | first two seasons. |