‘We don’t see anyone else as our competition’ – IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal issues no-nonsense verdict on league’s stature
Arun Singh Dhumal (Source: Twitter)
Despite the introduction of other franchise-based events across the globe, the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) reputation as the best Twenty-20 league is safe, its chairman Arun Singh Dhumal told Reuters. With an estimated brand value of $8.4 billion, the league continues to draw the best players and coaches in the globe thanks to the type of money that T20 tournaments like Australia and England can only dream of. But things are changing; this year, profitable leagues began in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, and next month, Major League Cricket will begin to play in the United States.
Even if there are more opportunities for players to use their skills than ever before, Dhumal felt certain that the IPL will continue to dominate franchise cricket. “We don’t see anyone else as our competition, there is none even close to IPL. Our best wishes to all the boards starting their own T20 leagues, but I don’t think any of them can be a threat to IPL,” Dhumal was quoted as saying in Reuters by telephone.
We got a phenomenal response from the fans: Arun Singh Dhumal
The excellent viewership figures for this year’s IPL, which ended on Monday, especially from the league’s digital partner, are the basis for Dhumal’s belief. More than 120 million unique viewers, with a high concurrent audience of 32.1 million, watched Chennai Super Kings defeat Gujarat Titans in a thrilling final, according to a statement released by Jio Cinema on Wednesday.
“It has been a phenomenal success, and largely because of the sheer competitiveness of this year’s tournament. Most of the matches went down to the wire and there were plenty of last-over thrillers. We got a phenomenal response from the fans. Our viewership grew manifold and our broadcast and digital partners both are excited. Even the in-stadia experience of the fans has been phenomenal, and going forward it’s only going to get better,” the IPL chairman asserted.
Since the IPL’s inauguration in 2008, its popularity consistently increased, and the Indian Cricket Board’s regulation prohibiting its players from competing in other competitions has contributed to ensuring its dominance. Dhumal stated that the IPL will continue to have ten teams, but that if it were given a larger window in the calendar created by the Apex Cricket Council, its regulatory body, the number of matches – currently 74 matches every season might increase to 94.
