Indian Premier League

In its seventh season, the IPL will venture out to an uncharted territory in an attempt to win new fans. The first leg of the tournament will be played in the United Arab Emirates with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah hosting the matches. After filling the exotic deserts of the UAE with its colours, the IPL will return home for its business end. This season, the Indian Premier League will be all about the fans.

In 2013, one of league’s original cities was represented by a new team. With the arrival of the Sunrisers from Hyderabad, there will be a new Player Auction. IPL 2013 wooed the world with its renewed excitement, and the same colourful and vibrant charm.

Back in 2008, the league was flagged off with a frenetic – and one-of-a-kind – Player Auction and it created a media frenzy right from the start. Among the bidders were some of India’s biggest names; from industrialists and film stars to prominent personalities were involved in the league. The players on offer included legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Shane Warne, and youth icons like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Cricket lovers held their breath as a new era in the history of the sport was ushered in.

The opening ceremony of the inaugural edition of IPL was like nothing the sport had seen before. And the cricket that followed lived up to the lofty expectations of the sporting fraternity. When Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals lifted the trophy to become the first ever IPL champs, team owners Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra made for the perfect mascots of a jubilant side.

If the first edition of IPL was one of pleasant surprises and establishing bonds with spectators and the cricketing fraternity, the second season proved that the popularity of the league had crossed Indian borders. At the last minute, the tournament had to be shifted to South Africa – a change that only increased the excitement and encouraged involvement of the global community of fans. Adam Gilchrist’s Deccan Chargers went on to win the trophy, rounding off a great second season.

In 2010, IPL returned to its rightful home. Local audiences were once again treated to some high quality entertainment thanks to the players, franchises and organisers of this great cricketing carnival. In the end, it was MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings who reigned supreme.

The IPL Player Auction held in January 2011 was an important milestone in the journey of the league. Along with the addition of two new teams, the IPL also witnessed a redistribution of players amongst teams, after a fulfilling three-season stint.

While a few big names continued to sport their original sides’ colours, the fourth season was virtually a new beginning with ten sides participating instead of the original eight. Two new venues were also included in the IPL schedule. In the end, it was MS Dhoni’s Super Kings, who yet again emerged victorious.

The 2012 edition saw the most open and cutthroat competition in the history of the league. The mighty lost their invincibility and a new world order was established. After reeling in the bottom half of the points table for the first three seasons and missing out a top-four spot in 2011, the Kolkata Knight Riders conquered the defending champions in their own backyard. They were a team reinvigorated by a complete overhaul in 2011, inspired by stalwarts like Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee and Wasim Akram, and led by the focus and determination of their captain, Gautam Gambhir.