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The world's leading cricketers now swap the shirts of the Indian franchises and don the covers of their home nations. So how will the 2010 IPL be remembered and what lessons can be learned ahead of the coming World Championship?
For the international neutral it may depend on where you live! In Pakistan it may be remembered as the year when none of their own players were selected. In England a similar controversy was avoided at the last minute when a dispute was resolved allowing a handful of players to participate, although at a fraction of the salary they would have liked to receive.
It may be remembered for the bombs in Bangalore or the controversy surrounding the alleged financial irregularities currently tarnishing the reputation of Lalit Modi, the founder of the IPL.
However, despite its extensive 60-game format there should be many more positive memories. The IPL became the first cricket tournament to be broadcast live on YouTube and played to record audiences as a result of extended TV distribution deals and the addition of five new stadia.
On the pitch there have been superb individual and team performances, concluding with the Chennai Super Kings and Indian skipper Mahendra Dhoni lifting the trophy. So, who has the form leading into the World Championship?
On their home turf Indians have dominated the IPL 'best player' awards. While Dhoni has again demonstrated his ability to make key decisions under pressure and back this with strong individual performances, many Indians will rue missing out on taking the IPL's 'best batsman', Sachin Tendulkar.
West Indies, the hosts, can take heart from performances from Kieron Pollard and the powerful Chris Gayle. Buoyed by a fanatical and noisy home crowd can they overcome traditionally erratic performances on wickets that tend to favour the faster bowlers?
Powerhouse Australia will hope youngster Doug Bollinger can reproduce the form he showed in the semi-finals where he led the Chennai Super Kings to the final with four wickets. They will also look to David Warner whose 107 off 69 balls in the tournament showed why many in the game rate him as one of the cleanest strikers of the ball.
South Africa will take heart from the consistency shown by Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn and can also call upon the talented Morkel brothers, Albie and Morne, who are strong with both bat and ball.
But will those involved with the IPL benefit from the experience or be too jaded to maintain their form? Of those teams with fewer players in the IPL, Pakistan, as current champions, have the variety and strength in depth to trouble anyone on their day, and, with Sri Lanka, hold the second best win/loss record in world finals, behind South Africa.
Will England be the dark horse of the tournament? Few expect much from a team inexperienced in this format. However, with a revamped opening partnership of Kieswetter and Lumb they possess two batsmen with the innovation and power to destroy any attack.
Led by the consistent Paul Collingwood they will hope that the Notts trio of Broad, Sidebottom and Swann can make the most of their break from this format of the game. And, would anyone bet against a return to form for the recently mercurial Kevin Pietersen?
The tournament commences at 8pm Bahrain time with the match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
