The second edition of the IPL begins in South Africa this weekend. The event will not be any lesser because of the shift of venue. In fact, South Africa, with its fine cricket pitches, could well enhance the excitement of a form of the sport that is getting more popular by the day.

Full marks should go to the IPL match commissioner Lalit Modi, the BCCI and the eight franchises for taking a bold decision well in time. Had they hung on every protracted word that the government wished to speak on the subject, the event would have got bogged down in politics and may easily have become a non-starter.

It was possible for IPL to take such a brave decision essentially because it has the financial independence.

But the sheer speed of decision making, while also putting together an itinerary that would work, in India as well as at alternative venues, was simply breathtaking. There are many reasons to look forward to IPL-2, not least of which may be the dancing girls who would be emboldened to be more animated in a cultural setting that is different from ours. Cheerleading may assume another dimension altogether this season. The pom-pom girls, as they are called in many parts of the world, are certain to be a hit.

Talking of hits, there are bound to be many more from the men at the batting crease, the glamour boys of the game. Batsmen will definitely enjoy the atmosphere for big hitting that comes naturally, with the high altitude of the Veld helping the ball travel more. Also, all the grounds are relatively small.

The heroics of Yuvraj Singh who once struck six sixes in an over in the T20 world championship should serve to refresh our memory of what is possible in the lighter air of South Africa where the ball seems to go the distance rather more easily. Of course, the batsmen’s skills and bold approach contribute immensely to such a spectacle.

The game may have condemned the bowlers to be cannon fodder on modern pitches. But they will not always be that on the bouncier pitches of South Africa. There will always be something going for them in the surface, unlike in India where a dead pitch is generally more moribund than the proverbial dodo.

The Indian fan will miss the event the most. It may be true that only 2 percent of cricket viewers actually go to the venue. But as a piece of statistics, that also tells a lie because that 2 percent is in terms of numbers rather than actual persons. There is an enjoyment factor to physical presence at a T20 match that is not easily described.

The best approach to T20 cricket is to sit back and enjoy it. It has a vibrancy that the game does not easily match in other formats, even if some of them are more fascinating in a cerebral kind of way.