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IPL (Source: Twitter)
Reports are coming out that the Indian Cricket Board is planning to introduce a Tier-2 cricket league in light of the grand success brought by the Indian Premier League (IPL). Not many details are known about the proposed league, but the board is aiming to launch as early as 2024, with reports suggesting a window to slot between September and October.
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Ever since its inception, IPL has served as a great platform for players across the world to showcase their talent and a source of huge revenue for the board. In fact, India's premier sporting competition created a revolution in the history of the game, prompting many other countries to start their own leagues.
Inspired by the success of the IPL, the governing body of Indian cricket is in the process of building a new league, probably in a T10 format. Although the specific format is yet to be confirmed, the board may go ahead with the 60-ball contest, acknowledging the role that the shortest version of the game can play in increasing the popularity of the sport.
It is learned that the proposed league is still being devised by board secretary Jay Shah, but has already received a green signal from stakeholders including potential sponsors. The officials are currently deliberating on several factors like the format of the league, venue selection, age limit of players, and franchise tender procedures.
Will the new league eat into IPL's popularity?
“Else, what’s the guarantee that it will not begin to eat into IPL’s popularity over the years? Right now, the IPL’s biggest strengths are a) It caters to Indian prime-time like no other cricket property; b) The world’s best white-ball cricketers participate in the league; and c) Corporate India looks forward to spending big on the league at multiple levels, thus ensuring the upkeep of the property’s central revenue model.
“Whenever the Indin Cricket Board decides to launch a new property, points a and c will always continue to remain the same given that cricket sells like no other product in India. It is point b that the board might want to think twice about,” say those tracking developments.