Having been involved with the Indian Premier League since its inaugural year, firstly as a Governing Council member and then with the TV broadcast team, I just keep getting blown over by not just the glitz and glamour that is so unique to the tournament, but also the quality of cricket that is displayed on the field. At the end of each edition, the feeling is that this one was the best, but the new season comes up with something that takes the breath away. That’s exactly what happened again. 

Glittering opening ceremony

The opening ceremony, which had been done away with in the last three years due to COVID, began this time with the mellifluous voice of Arijit Singh and ended with a stomping dance performance with the award-winning  ‘Naatu Naatu’ being the closing number. Even the overseas commentators who are not exposed to Indian music couldn’t stop marvelling at the voice of Arijit Singh and the dance that followed. That seemed just the appetiser as Ruturaj Gaikwad came up with a batting display that was incandescent, to say the least. The ease with which he was hitting sixes was a sight to behold. It was a pity he missed out on a well deserved century, but he had given this year’s IPL just the electrifying beginning that has been the feature every year. At the end of the innings and before the defending champions, Gujarat Titans started their chase, there was a  show where 1,500 drones lit up the sky and it was jaw-dropping to say the least. While those on the ground would have enjoyed the drone show in person, the superb camera work of the TV crew in capturing the show would have thrilled those watching on TV or on their personal devices. This aspect of the IPL is often forgotten. It is not just the cricket and the glamour, but the coverage that makes IPL the magnificent spectacle that it is. The camera persons, the sound technicians and the other technical crew are the real heroes though the millions watching it don’t see them. They are the stars of the broadcast though they are in the background, hardly if ever seen. These guys and those in what is the engine room who look after the logistics of the hundreds involved in the TV production of the tournament.