After the grand banquet that was World Cup 2011, the IPL has come as a potpourri of knick-knacks, ranging from the exciting, the moderate to the mediocre. It is still early days, but the response has just about started to warm up after an indifferent beginning. The crowds have come more to see their World Cup heroes than out of loyalty to their teams, as there were all new combinations this year. .

Why is there less interest in the present IPL competition than we had seen in the previous three editions? The in-stadia falling apart, even the TRP (Television Rating Points) of live telecast has fallen considerably in comparison.

Is it due to overall cricket fatigue, as much with the players as with the public?

There can be no denying the fact that if fatigue has not already set it, it surely will on account of the overkill, what with high number of matches and the many hours of telecast.

As if the live telecast of matches, on most occasions two in a day, is not enough, we had to have such a long and boring preamble to the matches. One hour of introduction to a game is too much, considering the same teams are playing almost every other day. You cannot help it if the studio anchor repeats himself and keeps asking the same questions again and again.

The studio discussions can easily be cut short. But then that would go against the logistics of cramming in so many ads into the program. To make it less boring, they can go more on site than stay glued to the studio, with the anchor not wanting to relent even when the fielders and batsmen are already on the ground.

One big sore point is the MIC, which is nothing but being in communication with any player on the field, or even an umpire, when the match is on. This blind imitation of what they do in other countries, where Twenty20 cricket is one big picnic, does not add to the scenery, but only distracts from it.

The other day, wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, playing for the new franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala, almost dropped a catch when he was engaged in a long conversation. Rightly enough, on another occasion, an umpire refused to respond. These chats, including those in the dugout, should, if at all, be filled in during the breaks. But then what will the channel do with the pile of ads?

There were, however, some refreshing moments when you had young Rohan Gavaskar on the panel of ex-players for discussion. He has a pleasing presence and needless to say, good cricket sense to put forth, without any frills.

Rohan has been too soon out of the game. It was his bad luck that he did not get the right breaks at the right time. From a very young age, he had shown a lot of promise, as he grew up amidst a new generation of cricketers not so fastidious about technique like his famous father was, but eminently suited for the shorter version of the game. Now that his playing rarer is done with, he has a future in broadcasting, which is not any less prosperous these days.