IPL 2020: Is something missing or am I being judgemental?

It could well be that mid tournament fatigue, the slump before the straight and the playoffs into the finals but there is definitely something I cannot quite put my finger on

May I be forgiven for this sacrilege but something is missing. Either it is this benighted Covid era that has made us a bit blah and mentally restless lot and it is difficult to concentrate. Add to this mix the general ennui that envelopes us and I ask is it only me or is anyone else feeling the IPL is dragging a bit.
It could well be that mid tournament fatigue, the slump before the straight and the playoffs into the finals but there is definitely something I cannot quite put my finger on. My friends do not agree and are thoroughly enjoying it unfold. I am happy for them.
My friend Hanaa Dabash says it is the absence of spectators that loses us the connect, it is just not the same thing. I made a passing remark that even the players look a bit pooped, like the claustrophobia of the bubble is having an impact, their closeted existence now running into eight weeks, the limited movement in the off days, the absence of conviviality and collegial togetherness all of this gives the sensation of sluggishness, like even the heat has become a secondary factor. It is like playing under the gun.
I probably am a minority and not a very supportive one today though I love watching but holding a 53 day tournament is a huge chew. Ergo, viewing it for 53 days is also a major burden in that for nearly four hours you push other things off the table.
Annoyance in the family as you become a TV recluse adds pressure and a reasonable game becomes a drag because you are neglecting other options. As a result, a relatively slower game becomes dull and you find yourself impatient and uncharitable.
All that and the month before the start to acclimatise must have taken some toll of the players. Even with the families in situ living out of suitcases in hotel rooms without the larger family members and friends can get a bit tiring, the same routine, the same folks day in and day out.
And yes, it is not for lack of trying. The players are all giving it their best and it is not easy to be decanted from hotel to bus to ground to bus to hotel in an endless circle of musical chairs.
Like I said, I want to be in a minuscule minority and hope fervently the show goes on and the electricity of the first few days is re-ignited.
 

• IPL 2019