Warne was the fairytale the IPL needed

Shane Warne has finally called time on his professional cricket career with his annoucement that this would be his last year in the IPL. Writing in the Indian Express, Aditya Iyer says Warne’s second coming will always be remembered for the way in which he led Rajasthan Royals to an improbable championship in the tournament’s first year.

To become an overnight success, the IPL institution desperately needed a fairytale, an ashes to glory story. And Warne, a cricketer, poker pro, rock star, hair expert, newsmaker and an alleged sex offender -all rolled into one - gave it to them. The world will never know the path IPL would've charted had Warne's glorious brush with leadership not unfolded like a soap opera in the first season, but one thing is for sure - the world, and the IPL, is richer with the experience.