The franchise cricket season has begun and the biggest show in cricket is ready to take centrestage.
The T20 World Cup this month was one of the most successful ICC tournaments in recent times, culminating in a blockbuster final which witnessed a record concurrent viewership of over 72 million as India defended their title at home.
But there is a bigger show in town. In fact, one of the biggest in the world.
The Indian Premier League is gigantic. A broadcast deal worth over $6 billion – easily the biggest in cricket – multi-million dollar player contracts, dedicated window in the calendar and packed venues across a two-month schedule make it one of the most valuable events in all of sport.
Cricket fans were given another reminder of the incredible power of the IPL this week when title holders Royal Challengers Bengaluru were acquired by a new consortium for around $1.8b.
Rajasthan Royals also saw new owners come in after paying a similar amount. There is a very long line of investors from all parts of the globe eager to get a slice of the IPL pie.
On Saturday, the cricket world will get to see why all roads now lead to the IPL.
Defending champions Bengaluru will begin their title defence against the belligerent batting line-up for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The tournament kicks off at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where tickets were sold out in under five minutes.
All of which would seem routine, were it not for the fact that less than a year ago, Bengaluru's moment of celebration turned into one of the biggest tragedies in the sport.
After Royal Challengers finally ended their trophy drought by lifting the title in Ahmedabad in June, a victory parade was held at very short notice the following day in Bengaluru.
Conflicting announcements and last minute changes resulted in a crush outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium which resulted in the loss of 11 lives.
It looked like the venue would lose its hosting rights as authorities found a number of issues regarding stadium facilities and crowd management.
The venue has now undergone changes in accordance with the recommendations of authorities. However, according to reports, last minute work was going on days ahead of the season opener.
More than the fixture, what will be of greater significance is the readiness of local organisers and the measures taken by all stakeholders to improve spectator safety and viewing experience. It is, after all, the paying public that has brought in billions of dollars to teams and the league. Their safety should always have been a top priority.
But it is also a fact that fans can't seem to get enough of the IPL. The extraordinary popularity of the Bengaluru franchise was evident as fans went to great lengths to confirm the arrival of star pacer Josh Hazlewood, who is still recovering from injury. There were people tracking flights from Australia and posting on social media.
It is difficult to contain the excitement of fans once the IPL matches start. But as we prepare for two months of non-stop T20 carnival, it would be prudent to take a step back and look at the larger picture.
People lost lives last year while celebrating a cricket win. People are losing lives now as the war in the Gulf region rages on. The oil crisis emanating from that conflict is affecting the life of people in all corners of the world. It is bad now, and could become worse in the blink of an eye.
So as the IPL returns to screens and grounds across India, let's be mindful of where we were and where we are.
