I still remember watching Sachin, Sehwag etc play at the top of their game in the initial versions of the IPL. It somehow brings out the best versions of Cricketers in different aspects. People will pay even more attention now to the 1st game between CSK and MI.
This may be true to a certain extent. But from what I have seen, once the player retires from international cricket, his popularity takes a beating. Remember what happened to players such as Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. IPL is a two month phenomenon and the hype won't last for the entire year. Also the fan support that these players get while playing for India is much greater than what they get while playing for the city-based teams.