There are many reasons why I believe the IPL could be the best thing to happen to Indian cricket. The need has often been stated but now there is a path that is visible; amidst the jungle, a trail has emerged and we must follow it with hope. I do not know if there are speedbreakers on the way but what I do know is that it is the only option ahead at the moment.

In this column I have often spoken of my dream; that Indian cricket will have parents who will nurture it. At the moment Indian cricket is the poor little rich kid and relatives with different shades of character are befriending him hoping to get a slice of the pie. They want to see the kid get richer, not necessarily better. Being rich and being good are not always synonyms. Indian cricket needs nurturing but how does a flagrantly commercial proposition achieve this end?

Quite simply because, in being selfish, you sometimes find the right approach. Return on investment is very often a good path towards excellence. When being good is the only way to make profits, you are forced to be good and that is at the heart of all successful commercial enterprise. Bidders have paid large amounts of money to own franchises and since they are not in the business of losing money, they will try and produce the best possible teams. To them this is merely a new line of business. Reliance built world class petrochemical complexes, GMR are building fine airports; in either case excellence is the way to profits. I believe it will be the same with the cricket teams they own.

... contd.