This is being written just a few hours before the start of the greatest T20 league in the game. Passing by the Chinnaswamy Stadium the previous evening one could see last-minute touches being given to the stadium.  It will be a solemn start to this edition of the tournament which coincidentally started at this very stadium way back in 2008. That time Brendon McCullum played an innings to remember scoring 158 with an array of sixes and fours that were breathtaking. It was the perfect start to a tournament about which there were probably an equal number of doubters as believers.

This time around there won’t be an opening ceremony to respect the memory of those young fans of the Bengaluru franchise who lost their lives in a stampede that happened in the rush to congratulate their champion heroes. The BCCI deserves full marks for doing away with the opening ceremony and respecting the memory of those young fans.