FOREIGN EXCHANGE

As the IPL bandwagon glides into the 18th season today, here's how a galaxy of international superstars has left a lasting imprint on the league

- VISHAL MENON

When Lalit Modi was setting up the Indian Premier League (IPL) jamboree in 2008, Shane Warne was a washed-up cricketer done with bamboozling hapless batters. A startup T20 venture in India didn't excite him. A phone call, however, reignited Warne's waning competitive spirit.

For the inaugural season, Rajasthan Royals (RR) had hired Ravi Krishnan, a former executive of sports and culture company IMG, as vice-president. Krishnan, who had played grade cricket with Warne at St Kilda, a seaside suburb in Melbourne, recommended the champion Australian spinner as the franchise's captain. He called up Warne and said: "This is your chance to prove that you were the best captain Australia never had. Come, run the franchise and win the one title you haven't."

Krishnan's words fired up Warne. At 38, cricket's sharpest brain returned to the field to script a fairytale title triumph for RR.

The IPL bandwagon glides into the 18th season on Saturday, when defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders face Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

In 18 years, the IPL has grown in size and heft, with the 10-franchise league being a major summer spectacle that chugs along uninterrupted by events like the Lok Sabha elections or the pandemic.

This marquee league, with a brand value of $12 billion, remains a crown jewel among major sporting leagues across the globe. The bulk of the credit goes to a galaxy of international superstars like Warne, Adam Gilchrist, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle for adding gravitas with their presence. Through their steady transfer of expertise, they have played a key role in turning the Indian cricket team into an ultra-competitive, trophy-guzzling unit.