Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly on Saturday (11th June) said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) generates more revenue than the English Premier League (EPL) and he’s happy to see the sport evolve so much.
The Indian Premier League has been one of the world’s most lucrative T20 leagues across the globe since its introduction in 2008. Not only in cricket, but the brand value of IPL has also put it on the same list as other sporting leagues such as NBA, NFL, and NHL.
It is the most-attended cricket league in the world. The cash-rich tournament has achieved stratospheric growth, developing into one of the world’s most lucrative annual sporting properties, pulling in millions of viewers each season.
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Big names across the globe have joined over the years and have made a big impact. The marquee tournament over the years has opened doors for many young Indian players to prove and show their mettle to the world. IPL is also credited for giving Indian team players that are battle-ready and have no nerves about playing in front of huge crowds in international cricket.
Speaking at the India Leadership Council Event, Ganguly said that he’s seen cricket evolve from a stage where players used to earn a few hundreds and are now earning crores.
He revealed that IPL generates more revenue than the English Premier League (EPL) and said that he feels happy to see the sport he loves evolve so much.
“I've seen the game evolve, where players like me earned a few hundreds and now have the potential of earning crores. This game is run by the fans, by the people of this country, and by the BCCI, which was formed by cricket fans.
“This sport is strong and will continue to evolve. The IPL generates more revenue than the English Premier League. It makes me feel happy and proud that the sport I love has evolved to become so strong," Sourav Ganguly said.
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Ganguly also talked about his leadership style, which for him is building a team. He said that he captained the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammed Azharuddin and Rahul Dravid and collaborated with them instead of competing with them.
“Captaincy, to me, is leading a team on the ground, and leadership, to me, is building a team. So, whether I worked with Sachin, Azhar, or Dravid, I didn't compete with them; instead, I collaborated with them as leaders and shared responsibility,” he said.
When asked what's common between being captain and managing BCCI, Ganguly said that managing the individuals is the one thing. He believes that respecting colleagues is the key to becoming the captain of a successful team.
“I believe that the common thing is managing individuals. This country has exceptional talent, ranging from young players to young corporate employee. I genuinely believed that if I wanted to be the captain of a successful team, I had to respect my colleagues so that they could become good players, and that it's never the other way around; you can't keep everything to yourself and expect good things to happen; it won't happen,” he said.
(NDTV Sports inputs)
