India's IPL leaves a mark on World Twenty20

Like it or not, the cash-lucrative Indian Premier League can't be ignored as it is proving both a boon and curse for cricketers taking part in the World Twenty20 in London.

Like it or not, the cash-lucrative Indian Premier League can't be ignored as it is proving both a boon and curse for cricketers taking part in the World Twenty20 in London.

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Some like West Indian Dwayne Bravo and Sri Lanka's Tillekeratne Dilshan credit their success to the IPL, where Indian tycoons and Bollywood stars dole out millions to buy the best players for their franchises.

Ironically, one team that will view the latest edition of the IPL held in South Africa just prior to the T20 Worlds with mixed feelings are India.

The defending champions were deprived of the services of vice-captain and swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag, who suffered a shoulder injury while leading the Delhi Daredevils.

England lost influential all-rounder Andrew Flintoff after he was injured during his short sojourn with Chennai Super Kings, who bought him for a joint-record salary of 1.55 million dollars a year.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori did not take part in the World Twenty20 league phase or the first Super Eights match against Ireland due to a shoulder injury at the IPL.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a 1.5 million-dollar signee with the Chennai team, refused to blame the IPL for Sehwag's absence.