And now for something completely IPL

Taking a break from the gloomy business of writing about NZ cricket, I turn to the flavour of the week/month/year. Some random thoughts and observations on this year's edition of the IPL:

1. I returned to India only last November, making this the first IPL I've followed from home (not counting a two-week visit in May 2008). Already, I miss watching the games through various raw online feeds like I did in the States, where the commercials were few and far between, allowing precious breathing space and flux between overs. I've finally got to see for myself what the whole fuss about coverage with ad-bombardment on television is. Suffice to say it isn't as enjoyable.

2. The tournament has made me come to terms with why I can't seem to get into club football, formula 1 or the NBA for an extended length of time; too many teams, too many games to keep track of (in spite of actually having a team to support, and invest emotionally in - the Royal Challengers - keeping track in the IPL is a trying task). Maybe it'll work out the other way around; as I get more used to a league system, it might bring out the (presently dormant) football lover in me, who knows? Even if Lalit Modi never intended it that way.

3. Whenever I tune in and take stock at the start of each week, the form book appears to have been recalibrated, with only the success of the Mumbai Indians and the woes of Kings XI Punjab being constants. One look at the points table tells the story; Every team (from the 2nd to 7th position, and even Punjab theoretically it turns out) is in with a chance of making it to the semis, and none has enjoyed an especially memorable campaign.

4. Three words: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. If Shane Keith Warne had bowled in every game like he did against the Deccan Chargers (where he took 4-21), I'd make it six. But last night's game, which saw KP and Uthappa deconstruct him with ease, seemed to confirm he is finally past it. With Warnie, you never know. 1999 and 2004 anyone?

5. Speaking of KP, it's great that he seems to be hitting form at the right time. RCB's batting without him is a tad suspect at the moment, with Jacques Kallis possibly peaking too early and Ross Taylor not finding much form. The bowling - Steyn, Vinay Kumar, Kumble - has been excellent but Pietersen shapes as a vital man if RCB are to go all the way.

6. Another point of interest every year is the performance of second-tier local players, the national side wannabes. Among the batters, it's been all rather disappointing. It's been mostly the odd cameo from Saurabh Tiwary-types, with Murali Vijay, T.Suman and Robin Uthappa being the standouts for me. I'm not impressed by Yusuf Pathan.

7. What does Murali Kartik have to do to get a callup to the national side? And apparently, he doesn't enjoy the extended confidence of Saurav Ganguly in KKR any more than when Gangools was the India skipper. Also, two other spinners have shown how unfortunate they were to be left out of the World T20 reckoning. Pragyan Ojha has shown himself to be a difficult customer at the limited-overs level at the very least (and therefore ought to be part of India's World Cup '11 plans), while Amit Mishra - likened to Stuart MacGill by a friend, in that you get boundary-balls and rippers from him in equal measure - needs to enjoy greater continuity in his selection.

8. Having said that, Piyush Chawla is bowling better as the tournament progresses, and even if Punjab are as good as out of the reckoning it's a welcome sign with the World T20 around the corner.

9. My mum, for whom watching cricket does not count as a worthwhile way to spend time (*throws hands in exasperation*), asked me why I seem to be faithfully tuning in to the IPL after indulging in "it's not cricket" type rants at any given opportunity. I told her it was a bit similar to how the increasingly commercial, money-minded nature of temples wasn't stopping her from visiting them in the least. She wasn't impressed with the comparison, but her point still had me wondering.

10. I've watched two games at the Chinnaswamy. It's a fantastic ground, with a splendid atmosphere and an infectiously vocal crowd. Still, amidst the sea of red shirts you get the odd blooper/stinker. A row of gyrating middle-aged men desperately trying to be young again, only to obstruct our view, made for a painful experience. Another noteworthy moment was when the stadium announcer counted down the last five seconds to the end of the Strategic Timeout (sue me for not mentioning the sponsor) - "Five..four..three.." - when there was actually a minute and five seconds to go. The crowd dutifully screamed along with him.

11. I hope the Rajasthan Royals crash out. I'm usually all for supporting the underdog, but something about their campaign has rubbed me the wrong way. I think it has much to do with Shane Warne's ringing endorsement of the IPL in general and Yusuf Pathan's century in their opening game in particular. Warney's leadership has been terrific; however, his whole endear-myself-to-the-Indian-public routine comes across as a bit too calculated (this is the same guy who insisted on having only baked beans on an earlier tour here). Also, can there be much love for a side which has Shane Watson?

12. A point that seems to have been lost in the cheerleaders controversy is that the cheerleading doesn't appear co-ordinated or professional in any way. I thought the IPL had invested in cheergirls for teams like the Washington Redskins or something? I suppose the only way to look at it is to stop deliberating and liken them to firangi extras in a typical Salman Khan/Akshay Kumar starrer.