IPL becomes Bollywood's latest blockbuster

The stifling 95 degree heat in Mumbai this weekend cannot be purely put down to the onset of the southern Indian summer. The self-satisfied glow of the organisers of the hugely successful Indian Premier League must also be ratcheting up the temperature a degree or two.
Built on a mountain of cash from some of India's richest individuals, the IPL began 44 days ago with a vision for the future that seemed almost as crackpot as the idea that India would boast one of the world's booming economies.Suspicion and scepticism greeted its beginning, but ever since Brendon McCullum set alight the opening match, the tournament has gathered strength and exceeded expectations. "It has been an unprecedented blockbuster," said one of the franchise owners, Vijay Mallya - and his Bangalore team bombed dismally.
The tournament culminates in the IPL play-off weekend, ending with tomorrow's final, where the organisers will be desperate to show the world their gleaming new toy. VIPs gathered from the world of cricket will be told how the IPL have broken their own targets in the first year.
The franchises expected to break even after year three. For the majority, it has happened in year one. Television viewing figures are astronomical, even by the standards of a country with a population of more than one billion. The huge advertising revenues have enabled people to ignore the inconvenient fact that 20 to 30 per cent of match tickets have been given away.
Finding a critic of the IPL is hard. The few dissenters within the Indian cricket board have been silenced by the �40 million they are set to make from the IPL's first edition."It has been sensational," said Kepler Wessels, coach of the Chennai Super Kings. "I've coached and played all over the world and over different eras and this reminds me very much of the Kerry Packer World Series that I played in. That was when cricket became professional and there is a similar vibe here. This has been a tremendous tournament and it will grow from strength to strength." That strength has been built on decent cricket, looking good for the cameras and appealing to the masses. Preity Zinta, the Bollywood actress and owner of the Punjab franchise, flashes her smile on cue, while one obsessed fan fell from the stands at Eden Gardens trying to get a glimpse of Kolkata owner, the superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
But this is India and cricketers are also kings. New stars have emerged, and predictably, they are mostly Australian. Shaun Marsh, the Western Australian batsman, was a snip at $30,000 (�15,171) for the Kings XI Punjab and is the tournament's leading run scorer with 593. Over at the Rajasthan Royals, Shane Watson has shown what he can do when he stays fit, while Marsh's team-mate Luke Pomersbach has biffed the ball at will.
It is a serious business for the players, who, for the first time in their careers, have had to publicly account for huge salaries.
"I remember lots of lads laughing and joking in the first year of T20, but people are taking it very seriously now," said Jeremy Snape, the former England one-day player who is performance coach for the Rajasthan Royals. "Five years later it is having a big impact on the game."
Off the field the talk is of reconciliation. Players who clashed while competing for their countries have been forced to get on or get out as they share dressing rooms with old foes. There was no greater rivalry than that between Graeme Smith and Warne. But at the end-of-tournament party, held at Mumbai's Grand Hyatt on Thursday night, the pair were seen swapping altogether nicer sentiments.
"So many different combinations have come together," said Warne. "We don't normally get to share ideas and methods and that has been one of the lasting memories for me."
There is one thing missing from the finals weekend - the home side. There were longer queues yesterday afternoon at screenings of the new Indiana Jones movie than there were at the Wankhede Stadium ticket office.
The IPL's decision to hike prices for the day did not help on that front, with the top tickets set at �140. A quick rethink led to a 50 per cent reduction. Swathes of empty seats do not look good on television, and looking good on screen is what really counts.
THE GOOD: The rejuvenation of Shane Warne: He has revelled in his role as leader and father figure to the unfancied Rajasthan Royals, whom he guided to surprise leadership of the group-stage table.
The crowds: It is no surprise that fans have flocked to the games, what has come as a shock is how they have swapped national allegiance for supporting their local franchise.
The money: The Indian Cricket Board are projected to make more than �40?million from the first IPL season as sponsorship has soared.
The cricket: In India the batsmen are kings and Brendon McCullum's 158 in the tournament's opening match set the bar. Sanath Jayasuriya, Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh (right) have all reached three figures.
The glamour: From Bollywood actresses to the Washington Red Skin cheerleaders and glitzy after match parties, the IPL has aped Formula One in its pursuit of the opulent. 1. The racism charge. Two British cheerleaders made accusations of racism, claiming they were told they could not perform at a match because they were black.
THE BAD: The slap: Harbhajan Singh of the Mumbai Indians slapped India team-mate Shanthakumaran Sreesanth in the face after a match against the Kings XI Punjab. Harbhajan was later banned for the rest of the tournament.
The sulking: Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan never missed the chance to appear on camera while his side Kolkata Knight Riders were doing well. When their fortunes nosedived he was less conspicuous.
The arrogance: Heady with success the organisers are now talking about two IPL seasons a year. What about Test cricket?
The fickleness: Failure to qualify for the semi-finals left some doubting the futures of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, two true greats.
AND THE NUMBERS: 1,629 Fours
593 Sixes
67 Lowest total (Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai)
84.62 Win percentage for Shane Warne of the Rajasthan Royals
21 Balls for fastest fifty, by Yusuf Pathan (Rajasthan Royals)
31 Boundaries hit by Sanath Jayasuriya, the highest in the group stage.