R Ashwin will be missed by Pune Rising Supergiant due to a sports hernia. File Pic

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has got off to a bandaged start with six India regulars (KL Rahul, M Vijay, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav) not part of the glitzy event, at least in the initial period. This is no surprise considering the humongous amount of international cricket India have played this season. But what makes it extraordinary is the fact that the IPL kicked off barely a week after the fourth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy concluded in Dharamsala.