IPL takes off in S Africa today
The second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world's biggest Twenty20 tournament, is all set to begin in Cape Town today.
Last year's runners-up Chennai Super Kings face Mumbai Indians while defending champions Rajasthan Royals take on Bangalore Royal Challengers in the opening day matches at the same venue.
Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful expects to play the opener but he could well be pipped by South African sensation Jean-Paul Duminy in the opener.
The other four teams involved in the competition will be in action in Cape Town on Sunday and tickets for the opening weekend's double-headers have been sold out for a week.
Matches will be played in eight different venues over 37 days. The packed schedule involves moving 700 people, including over 200 television and digital media crew.
The tournament features almost all the top international players including England's Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, West Indian captain Chris Gayle and India's Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
After being moved out of India due to security and logistical concerns, the tournament authorities have done a remarkable job of arranging everything on time in a new setup in just three weeks.
"Setting up the 2009 IPL tournament in South Africa inside three weeks has been a logistical task unparalleled in world sport," the league's chairman Lalit Modi told a news conference on Thursday.
Foreign spectators are expected to supplement the local crowds, with Modi saying four-thousand Indians were set to enjoy themselves in sunny South Africa for the next five weeks.
"It remains a challenge to engage with the broad base of all South Africans and get everyone excited by the IPL," Modi said.
"But we've come so far in an incredibly short time already that I'm optimistic that we can do it," added the tournament chairman.
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