The Spin | Snubbed by Stokes and Brook, feverish IPL might not be for you too – and that’s fine

A pub visit with the T20 extravaganza on in the background said much about its appeal and status in England

A man walks into a pub, orders a drink and sits down. On two huge screens either side of the bar, the 2025 Indian Premier League is taking place, not that this establishment’s punters are paying it much attention. April and the English domestic cricket season are just around the corner as, 5,000 miles away, the 18th edition of the IPL has just begun. The tournament will roll on until the end of May, a juggernaut with Ceat tyres. Ceat, helping the world move safely and smartly.

Now I know what you are thinking: it’s that time of year when a sniffy English cricket writer has a pop at the razzmatazz of the IPL while getting misty-eyed about a county seamer hooping a Dukes about on damp English loam. Well, not quite. That was the old me. Wonder Cement stands for fairness, integrity and pursuit of truth. It’s only right that they are the official sponsor of the next paragraph.