The qualifiers and the group stages of the Champions League T20 are done and dusted.
The tournament has not quite caught the fans' attention, despite the matches being played in India - nothing like the IPL, this CLT20 is.
However, with three of the four IPL teams - yes this CLT20 is a bit of an IPL monopoly (read BCCI), just like the rest of world cricket, some would say - reaching the semifinals, and at least one IPL side ensured of a place in the final, maybe, just maybe there will be some attention-grabbing from the fans of this wonderful sport called cricket - yes, no doubt, Test match cricket is still the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.
The Rajasthan Royals, in their blue outfits, take on the behemoths that is the Chennai Super Kings, whose bright yellow is still sometimes painful for the eye, especially under lights.
The Royals are in a ridiculous run of form at home and seem near unbeatable at their fortress that is the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. They have, of course, won every single game of CLT20 2013, helped considerably by the fact that all of their matches have been in Jaipur.
It is a wonderful place to play T20 cricket is Jaipur. The weather is nice this time of year, the pitch aids both the bowlers and the batsmen, and the ball comes onto the bat for the latter, key in playing good cricket in the shortest format of the game.
CSK were extremely poor in their last game, when they lost to Trinidad & Tobago, which led them on a flight to Jaipur to face the formidable at-home Royals.
Stephen Fleming, the coach of CSK, said he would have preferred to play the Mumbai Indians, the current IPL champs, in the semifinals at the Feroze Shah Kotla, rather than make that trip to Jaipur.
However, it is what it is, and the Mumbai Indians will fancy themselves against Trinidad on Saturday, even if the winner of that match will not have a single day's rest, with the final scheduled for Sunday.
The Mumbai Indians have been patchy, and have been carried to the semis, thanks to their form with the bat, with Rohit Sharma playing a diamond of an innings in the previous match, when the IPL champions' odds were stacked against them.
If only Rohit was as consistent in India colours as he is for the Mumbai Indians - and the colour change in clothes is negligible - but then that argument, or musing is for another day.
So, Friday, Saturday and Sunday - three matches, one winner and hopefully an action-packed (read run-filled) three days of T20 cricket, before India prepare themselves to take on Australia in their limited-overs series.
Things one would like to see in the semifinals and final: 1. Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians) and Rahul Dravid (Rajasthan Royals) -- one in his final limited-overs tournament, and the other in his final top-class competition - make some runs and turn back the clock in style.
2. Michael Hussey just continue oozing class and show the youngsters just how it's done
3. M.S. Dhoni play another of those 63 in 19-balls innings, even if you start feeling a little bad for the bowlers in the end.
4. Kieron Pollard actually take on the spinners and succeed
5. Sunil Narine taken to the cleaners (It's hardly ever happened before you know, so it would be nice to see what that looks like)
Schedule and Predictions: Semifinals: Friday: Rajasthan Royals vs CSK (Jaipur) (CSK top the Royals to end their home unbeaten run as Rahul Dravid walks into the sunset after a glorious career); Saturday: Mumbai Indians vs Trinidad & Tobago (Delhi) (Tendulkar sparkles as Mumbai Indians stay alive).
Final: Sunday: Delhi. (In a repeat of the IPL final, CSK trump Mumbai Indians this time, gaining revenge for losing that IPL summit clash).
