Uninterrupted by poll or pandemic, IPL an unavoidable annual sporting event

Uninterrupted by election or pandemic, the cash-rich tournament has become an unavoidable annual event

Last year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) final was staged at Ahmedabad’s gargantuan Narendra Modi Stadium on May 29. Precisely a week later, members of the Indian Test team were jettisoned from the country’s sweltering cauldron to the cooler climes of London to feature in the World Test Championship final against Australia.

In this age of cut-throat competition and professionalism, these cricketers are expected to make a seamless transition from one format to the other. It’s easier said than done.

The Indians, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, imploded under the most dramatic circumstances. They would go down by 209 runs