It is facetious to argue that an additional overseas player will force a talented Indian youngster to sit out. With six slots available across eight teams, there is plenty of opportunity on offer for emerging players to catch the eye. If anything, slightly fiercer competition for spots will ensure there is greater pressure to perform, and as a direct consequence, flourish.

When the league first came about, it was argued that it would serve as a “nursery” to Indian cricket, providing a steady supply line of players. Nine years down the line, that claim doesn’t quite stand up to scrutiny. While the IPL can be credited to have played a role in the development of emerging stars such as Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Manish Pandey, it is their exploits on the less glamorous and more demanding domestic circuit that has been a greater contributor.

In essence, the IPL is a display window for effervescent young Indian talent to shine through. Players such as Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Manan Vohra, Deepak Hooda and many others won’t lose their place just because an additional overseas player can fit in.

There is also little reason to be overly protective of the “Indian-ness” of the IPL anymore. As the league has grown, fans have learnt to identify with overseas players as much, and in some cases a lot more, than Indians.

It was clever to identify city-centric icons - Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai), Rahul Dravid (Bangalore), Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata), Virender Sehwag (Delhi) and Yuvraj Singh (Punjab) when the tournament was first introduced to Indian fans. Over time, the huge following the likes of A B de Villiers at Bangalore and Dwayne Bravo at Chennai command, is clear evidence that franchise loyalties have evolved and matured.

The bottom line is this – each franchise is allowed nine overseas players as part of its squad. They are among the most skilled cricketers in the world and there is every chance that if allowed on the field, can inject greater verve into the competition.

It will still be the Indian Premier League, just a new and improved version.