The IPL: Cricket’s Ultimate Engine of Talent, Soft Power and Profit

 

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Every IPL, the thought inevitably goes back to how it started and what it has become. Now that the tournament is expected to rake in broadcast revenue of more than ₹70,000 crore for the BCCI over a five-year period between 2027 and 2031, it is easily world cricket’s biggest commercial success story. Every league across the world wants to emulate the IPL, to be like it. Leagues everywhere seek the glamour associated with the IPL while striving to deliver quality cricket. With every stake sale or team sale in the IPL, we revisit how it all began in 2008. For as long as the IPL remains a subject of media scrutiny, the brand will continue to stay relevant.

What the IPL has done is transform Indian cricket, in the T20 white-ball format, into an unstoppable juggernaut. As Tom Moody said in a CII session the day before yesterday: “We all sit in our parts of the world and look at India’s talent pool in awe. In our team, the Lucknow Super Giants, there are a few players who could easily walk into any international side. Yet here they are, uncapped and looking to make a mark in the IPL. The kind of talent India has is unbelievable. In the World Cup, they could have fielded a second team that is just as good. The IPL deserves a lot of credit for making this possible.”

With teams representing the length and breadth of India, the tournament is all-encompassing. For example, even if Assam does not have a team, it has a Riyan Parag to support. Now that Riyan is the captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR), a sizeable section of Assam will support that franchise.
The tournament is also a platform where dreams meet reality. While it is hugely difficult for a youngster to break into the Indian team at short notice, the IPL, with its ten teams, is easier to navigate. The moment you do so, you are watched by millions on television and digital platforms, making you an overnight star.

In a sense, the IPL is the country’s greatest talent hunt, lasting two months every year, fulfilling dreams and nurturing ambitions. That is what makes it unique and explains its success year after year. Now in its 19th year, it is only expected to grow bigger and better, cementing its status as world cricket’s signature property for the foreseeable future.

With the IPL, cricketers have found a new voice and marketers a new investment opportunity. Broadcasters have found a magical product, and the BCCI its golden goose. The prices at which RR and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been sold make it abundantly clear that the IPL is set to double its value over the next decade. While embracing 100 crore cricket fans, it remains an exclusive club of elite businesspeople, with entry severely restricted.

However much you may want to own a team, the opportunity rarely arises. Even if you have the money, teams are not always available on the market – and if they are, the price points are staggering. It is a clear example of soft power and has given the BCCI pole position in world cricket.

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Also read Inside the IPL: Passion, Rituals, and Ruthless Competition

The post The IPL: Cricket’s Ultimate Engine of Talent, Soft Power and Profit appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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