The Indian Premier League (IPL) media rights auction for the cycle 2023-2027 saw the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) getting stronger on the world map. As the rights were sold for a whopping sum of Rs 48,390.32 crore, the deal thus makes the league the second most valuable sports property after the NFL.
According to reports, the per match valuation of IPL has now gone past the English Premier League (EPL). It’s apprehended that the larger-than-life look of the league might fancy the cricketers in monetary terms but BCCI President Sourav Ganguly doesn’t believe in this theory.
In a conversation with the Times of IndiaGanguly, who himself had played IPL for 4 odd years, said the ‘money cannot be related to performance’.
“First thing first, money can’t be related to performances. From the times of Sunil Gavaskar to Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid, the money was nowhere close to what the players get now. But all of them had the hunger to perform. I don’t think players will only play for the money. Players play for the stature they get and the pride of representing India. Every player would want to win big international tournaments,” Ganguly was quoted as saying.
Since the IPL media rights have raised the bar by several notches, it’s expected to see a similar rise in international cricket as well. However, Ganguly feels that it would to too early to speculate.
“It’s too early to say. But the existing per match valuation for international matches was more than the IPL. Let’s see how the media rights for international matches go. We will have a package for domestic cricket,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ganguly said while the numbers convey the rising popularity of the IPL and how far cricket has come in India, it’s not just about money but talent as well.
“The game has never been just about money, it is about talent,” Ganguly was quoted as saying in a media release. “The IPL e-auction just showed how strong the game is in our country. The numbers should be the biggest motivation for all the young players to take their ability and Team India to the highest level.”
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