Friends, Foes and Friends Again - Return of the Indian Premier League

Australia's David Warner spent a couple of months leading up to World Cup 2015 trying to get under the skin of the touring Indian side. When the aggressive left-hander's bat wasn't talking, he surely was - jeering, taunting and pointing fingers at his opposition.

The 'rivalry' in the middle reached a stage where he and his opposite number - India's fiery opener - Shikhar Dhawan were standing face-to-face, away from the pitch, and just stopped short of throwing punches at each other.

Come April 8, these two men will don identical colours and be seen in the same frame again. Only this time, they will be on the same side for their Indian Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Warner's recent and relentless penchant for his opposition to 'speak English' may also dull down in the hue and vibrancy of the upcoming T20 blockbuster. One might even see him bragging about how well he's picked up the local language and how much he enjoys the 'biryani'. (Warner's Thuggish Behaviour has Gone too Far: Crowe)

Beyond the overflowing fans in the stands and the sky-rocketing TRPs, IPL's biggest achievement has been its ability to put Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds under the same roof.

Monkey Gate Forgotten! IPL even helped Harbhajan and Symonds become 'good friends'.

Notoriously famous for the 'Monkey Gate' incident in India's tour Down Under in 2008, the animosity seemed to widen as a prolonged hearing in the case pitted the two sides against each other off the field.

Symonds would later become a part of the Harbhajan Singh-led Mumbai Indians' Champions League-winning side in 2011 and that paled the controversy that had threatened to create a rift between two of the most powerful cricketing nations in the world. Symonds had even gone to the extent of saying that he and Harbhajan - the man he accused of making a racist comment against him- were now good friends.

The touching footage of Glenn Maxwell taking a break from a post-World Cup win interview to run up to Sachin Tendulkar and give him a hug is also a glorious testimonial to the tournament. Maxwell, initially dubbed as the 'Million Dollar Baby' of the IPL, spent most of the 2013 season warming the bench for Mumbai Indians but went on to forge strong relationships with the entire squad. Maxwell was later snapped up by Kings XI Punjab in 2014.

Despite rivalries on the field, the flamboyant Aussie batsman had recently spoken about how it was going to be difficult to play against his 'friends' when Australia hosted India in the World Cup 2015 semifinal.

Over the seven seasons so far, the IPL has done extremely well in breaking the culture barrier between players of different countries. West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo turning up in Indian traditional attire at his Chennai Super Kings teammate Suresh Raina's wedding on Friday was a fine example of that.

The beauty of the cash-rich league, often criticised for its pomp, is that it provides a unique platform. International cricket is all about pressure and nerve. In the heat of the moment, lot of fiercely-competitive players come across as bitter towards each other. IPL has gone a long way in helping a lot of such players in clearing the air, putting an arm around each other's shoulders and laughing over their 'previous battles' on the field.

Another thrilling season of IPL beckons. Besides the bludgeoning sixes, breathtaking catches, devastating spells and awe-inspiring knocks, watch out for the strong bonds that build and the new friendships that blossom.