IPL-8: The party's going to get bigger than ever before

When Kerry Packer introduced World Series Cricket in 1977 with coloured clothing and day/night matches, there was huge sense of disbelief as to how a purist's sport could be altered so dramatically.

Times have changed and the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League, starting on April 8, has become so innovative you can find all sorts of unthinkable things in it. Coloured clothing is just one part of this billion dollar circus, which is set to become even stronger as a brand in terms of attraction and entertainment, with the cricket played as hard as ever.

Yes, it will take some time for the fans to get used to new faces in their favourite franchises after the last small auction in February. But then, when you have a solid fan base rallying behind the strong teams, it really does not matter if some players have moved away and new ones join ranks.

Last year, the men behind the IPL were scratching their heads as to how the blue riband club tournament's dates could be adjusted as general elections were taking place in India. The first phase of the event had to be moved to the United Arab Emirates and then returned to India. The uncertainty was just too much to handle and the logistics a big worry for the teams.

This time around, there is no such worry for the eight teams as all matches are in India and cricket continues to be followed even more passionately thanks to the success of the ICC World Cup. There is a school of thought which feels the fielding restrictions in the ODI format have made it too tough for the bowlers.

But wait till the IPL begins as despite the slambang stuff and high voltage fielding on view, bowlers will still try to grab eyeballs with their swing and spin skills. Even before the World Cup had ended, the corporates in India were lining up to be part of the IPL. As a sport which can be enjoyed thoroughly inside the arena and also on prime time television, the IPL does give even the hard-to-miss serials a tough time. Add to it the new concept of having a fans' park this time, the IPL is going to rock. Not many would be aware of the efforts the IPL is making to ensure the sport is taken to the masses even in smaller cities.

The fans' park is an idea wherein 15 small cities which do not get to watch live matches get a feel of what it is like in the arena. From Kanpur to Indore, Agra to Coimbatore and Surat to Belgaum, 15 fan parks are coming up. The plan is that these parks will be open to 10,000 fans each and the matches will be shown on giant screens inside.

The plan is to make the fans in these small cities aware about the thrills of the IPL and they can soak in the atmosphere and also enjoy their soft drinks and snacks. It would not be an exaggeration to state that in India, no sport has attempted to create this kind of fan base. Just imagine, when a match is being telecast to a fan park in Warangal or Guntur, what kind of fan-base boost it will be for SunRisers Hyderabad.

The business of the IPL is in itself a subject worth studying. When the sleaze and dirt in the IPL made headlines over the last couple of years, there was a general fear the IPL brand would take a hit.

Now that the cleansing process has almost been completed thanks to the efforts of the honourable Supreme Court, IPL-8 is ready to rock and roll. To be sure, there would be some concern for those who follow the fortunes of teams like Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

These two teams are under the scanner after infamous men like Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra sullied the images of these franchises. Having said that, to think that former chief justice RM Lodha - entrusted by the Supreme Court to decide on the quantum of punishment for CSK and RR - will be in a hurry to make his decision seems remote.

There is also this unwarranted fear that names of some players lying in a sealed envelope with the Supreme Court for their alleged involvement in malpractices in previous editions of the IPL could be made public! Post India's success in the ICC World Cup, where the team lost to champions Australia in the semi-finals, people certainly do not look at cricket with any kind of suspicion.

And this is a very good thing for the IPL as in previous years there was some kind of mistrust between fans and the ones in the middle who provide us with unlimited entertainment via fours, sixes and making the bails fly.