Different Strokes: World Cup to IPL

April is not the cruellest month for international cricket rivalry . After April 2, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is no longer giving non-Indian batting and bowling stars the cold eye. Dhoni and Australian Mike Hussey are cheering each other while wearing the golden-yellow outfit of the Chennai Super Kings. Likewise, left-handed batsmen Yuvraj Singh and Graeme Smith are pooling their southpaw enthusiasm to work out how the Pune Warriors can stymie Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag who are doing duty for the Kolkata Knight Riders ( KKR) and Delhi Daredevils (DD), respectively.

Gambhir is counting on the Australian fast bowler Brett Lee to make inroads for KKR while Sehwag is encouraging the South African pacer Morne Morkel to provide the breakthrough for DD. And Sreesanth will be going all out to dismiss KKR's hard-hitting Yusuf Pathan while being egged on by his Kochi Tuskers' skipper Jayawardene whom he was glaring at during the World Cup finals. The fourth edition of the Indian Premier League ( IPL) replaces international cricketing rivalry with the softer, less-strident competition of the inter-city-club variety. Even the umpires are more relaxed in an inter-club format where getting it wrong will no longer be at the cost of a World Cup.

And the Indian fan will no longer be that tense now that he need not have to worry during office-hours about what the national team is up to, but can put his feet up at home to watch the 10 city teams play matches which begin at primetime and end by bedtime. No matter who wins, India doesn't lose. Even if your team loses, your favourite player might still win. Those fans who have lived in more than one Indian metropolis can empathise with more than one city team, with the IPL throwing up new heroes like Paul Valthaty!