What strikes me most about the third edition of the IPL is that, perhaps because this is the third year, most of the players and teams finally seem to have come to grips with it, and several teams that have done poorly in the first two editions can now beat anybody.

In this respect, I would refer specially to the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, who look capable of beating anybody on their day, while previously successful teams such as the Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals are not having it all their own way.

This indicates greater competition, of course, which is better for tournament, and much more exciting for audiences. And best of all, a lot of the local Indian players, who earlier seemed overawed by the big stars, are not so any longer, which can only be good for Indian cricket. Apart from anything else, it will teach the youngsters that a delivery from the greatest bowler of them all is still just another ball to hit, and names don't count for anything.

Having