IPL 2021 begins

Indian Premier League (IPL) has begun and all the cricketing stars have arrived in India wishing a very safe 14th edition. The party started on Friday with last time champions Mumbai Indians facing Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

Fans will once again let their hair down and dance to tunes that appeal to one and all. It's been a ritual since 2008, when India's single-biggest export to the world was born out of a consummation between the game's powerful patrons and the country's corporate echelons.

All eight teams are in strict bio-bubbles and testing has been increased as case numbers have skyrocketed to more than 130,000 a day since players arrived to prepare for the eight-week spectacle. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed bubble integrity managers to police each team. The games are to be held in six cities and all players are also being monitored through tracking devices, team officials said.

Sourav Ganguly, president of the BCCI, has said he expected the disruption to ease once the tournament starts. But the BCCI has stopped independent media from covering the games though it has said the decision will be reviewed after a few days. The 14th edition of the cash-rich event is being seen as a dry run for India as hosts of the T20 World Cup in October and November. Ganguly expressed confidence in India hosting "the best-ever ICC T20 World Cup" in a letter to state associations, adding that he hoped “normalcy” will return soon.