It's been a month since the opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and despite any initial apprehensions some might have had, it's been a huge success.
From huge sixes to quick wickets; outrageous stroke-play to brilliant hat-tricks; improbable wins to inexplicable losses; one-sided contests to last-ball thrillers; SRK dancing to Mallya whining; players getting slapped to CEOs getting sacked; inspiring leaders to clueless captains; failing favorites to winning underdogs; Australians getting cheered to Indians getting booed; spectacular fireworks to skimpy cheerleaders; awesome centuries to painful ducks; delightful cameos to devastating spells; athletic catches to dropped chances; insightful commentators to well, Ranjit Fernando; highs to lows and everything in between, it really has been an entertaining month of Twenty20 cricket!
But, despite all the entertainment, there is a sense of detachment for fans like me - expats who are far away from the action with no real affinity towards any particular team and inconvenienced by time. It's like watching a typical Bollywood blockbuster - entertaining for sure, but not engaging. After waking up early to catch the first couple of matches live, I now watch mostly the highlights and sometimes the replays.
IPL is fun, but it hasn't quite managed to evoke enough passion to lose sleep over - except when Tendulkar is batting!
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