Why IPL matters?

Forget the after parties. Ignore the cheerleaders and the glitzy owners. Just focus on the cricket.IPL4 in its first few days has shown us why exactly it matters to the game of cricket. Talent. If it were not for IPLs past, would we have known about the gem that is Suresh Raina?. In the first week of IPL4, two stars of significant untapped potential have emerged: Paul Valthaty and Ambati Rayudu. Both these players have been around for a few years, just not under the public eye. Due to various reasons, they didnt make the cut for the national team and had talent untapped. Not anymore. With a blitzkreig that shocked champions CSK, Valthaty signaled to the world that he has arrived. Rayudu did it much more differently. In a serene innings of 63 on a weird track in Bangalore, he showed that he can handle the pressures of the game very well. It may be too early to anoint them as the second coming of Dhoni or Raina but it definitely shows how much talent is hidden beneath the surface that only a high profile tournament/league like the IPL can bring out.And this is not the end. Before IPL 4 draws to a close, there will be many more such heroes that blaze a trail of destruction and remind the selectors that there is a long future ahead for their respective national teams.