IPL has survived, but only threat is loss of interest

Astitch in time helped the Board of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) stave off what in hindsight was the biggest threat it had faced. In 2007, in the wake of India’s unexpected victory in the inaugural T20 World Championship, the Essel Group promoted the Indian Cricket League (ICL), a city-based tournament.

The Essel Group, stymied in its bid to get broadcast rights for Indian cricket, looked to have stumped the Board. Several overseas and Indian players from the domestic circuit were signed up. India was in the throes of T20 fever, and a coup was on the cards.

The ICL’s first edition in November 2007 enjoyed modest success. With the ground about to be cut from under its feet, the BCCI shed its usual lethargy and responded.

The first step it took was to stop more players from joining the ICL. The BCCI banned those, who signed up for the league, and convinced other Boards to do the same.

Then, in February 2008, the BCCI announced the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The IPL’s broadcast rights in 2008 were sold to Sony for ~ 8,200 crore for 10 years. The figure left the cricket world squint-eyed. Most critics felt the IPL was financially unfeasible. But in the first season, the IPL caught the imagination.

Crowds thronged the stadia, sponsors tripped over themselves to be associated with the tournament.

The cocktail of cricket, big business and celebrity had hit the bull’s eye.

By late December 2008, the ICL was shutting shop, unable to withstand the IPL onslaught.

By the end of its second edition, the IPL had become the world’s sixth most-valued sports property.

While most countries now have their T20 leagues, none compares with the IPL in the player or financial heft. The IPL’s player purchase purse – at ~80 crore – is approximately nine times greater than that of next biggest, the Big Bash.

How massively the IPL has grown is evident from the money Star Network paid for winning the media rights in 2017: ~16348 crore approximately for five years. The entire IPL ecosystem is touted to be worth ~32-35,000 crore.

The IPL has opened up avenues for many more young hopefuls. It has provided a platform, which can fast track their progress.

Critics say the T20 format is detrimental to the development of Test players. India, which is ranked no 1 in tests, does not seem to have particularly suffered.

Despite its enormous success, or because of it, the IPL has also shown up a grisly underbelly every now and then. Alleged financial misdemeanours cost Lalit Modi his job as IPL chairman, and he sought refuge overseas when the authorities got on his case.

The 2013 match-fixing scam also took a heavy toll with the then BCCI president, N Srinivasan, having to relinquish office after the Supreme Court was asked to intervene. The apex court even appointed a panel to straighten things out in the Board, which still continues.

The IPL has been able to not just survive these setbacks and controversies, but continues to prosper and has also inspired other sports in India to emulate it.

Not all have met with success, it would be fair to say that the overall kitty for sport in India has grown exponentially, thanks to the IPL.

The IPL looks set for another successful season if interest in the player auctions some weeks earlier is any indication. In fact, the only real threat to the tournament is if the public loses interest in the T20 format itself. For the present, that seems as remote as it gets.