Are West Indian Players the soul of the IPL?

If someone from the Caribbean had referred to West Indian players as the soul of the Indian Premier League, I would have dismissed the comment, somewhat like Chris Gayle bashing a full length delivery out of the M. Chinnaswamy stadium. But since the remark came from former India opening batsman Aakash Chopra, I have to treat it with respect.

Chris Gayle parties with fans in India - Royal Challengers Bangalore photo

'You take West Indians out of the Indian Premier League and you take its soul away' Chopra said recently while working as an analyst on ITV's coverage of an IPL game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab.

Chopra not only played 10 Test matches for India, he is also a respected cricket writer, especially on domestic cricket. Last year he was asked to present a paper to Indian cricket authorities on how to improve the domestic game.

No reason then to think his brain was resting while his mouth was moving. The truth is the Caribbean crusaders have been doing very well in the sixth edition of the IPL. After 15 rounds of matches Gayle has most runs (680) with the highest individual score of 175. Dwayne Smith and Keiron Pollard have played match-winning innings. Even Darren "Skai Daddy" Sammy has walloped a few.

Where bowling is concerned, Dwayne Bravo, the new West Indies ODI captain, and Sunil Narine have been battling for the top wicket-taker's spot. Bravo is on 22 while his fellow Trinidadian is on 20. Ravi Rampaul and Kevon Cooper have also done very well.

As good as the performances have been, however, the entertainment value that the West Indians have brought to the tournament is priceless. It's one thing uprooting a batsman's stumps; it's even better when you do the Gangnam Style dance afterwards. It was amazing to see Sunrisers Hyderabad fans copying Sammy's signature celebration of sucking on a pacifier - a tribute to his baby daughter.

If there's one thing near-naked dancing girls, a plethora of Bollywood stars, all kinds of pyrotechnics and Danny Morrison say about the IPL, it is that it's all about entertainment. No group of players contribute to this spectacle than the boys from the Caribbean. If this is what Aakash Chopra meant when he made his remark, then I believe him.