The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly considering launching a T10 format cricket league, and it may begin between October and September next year.
Moneycontrol reported Friday that BCCI secretary Jay Shay is working on a blueprint for the proposed league.
This comes at a time when the league with the shortest form of cricket, the 20-over Indian Premier League (IPL), has seen a rise in viewership as well as valuation. Earlier this week, Brand Finance released a report suggesting that IPL has gained the status of a decacorn with a valuation of around $10.7 billion.
Per the business news website, franchises have the right to refuse any new model that the BCCI proposes and is similar to the IPL.
The report quotes people in the know of the developments as having said that there are some important factors that BCCI needs to consider before launching this new league. These include having an age bracket so that it does not eat up the popularity of IPL and how to ensure that the best white-ball cricketers participate in the league.
According to the Moneycontrol report, the thinkiing within the money making machine that is the BCCI is that currently cricket boards are not earning enough through bilateral series, and this league, and a potential revenue-sharing model, may help these boards financially.
The report also notes that the introduction of such a league / format could well prove to be the final “nail in the coffin” of the already struggling 50-over ODI format.
For India, the need for finance may not be as immediate. Recently, Bloomberg reported that Saudi Arabia is looking to invest in the IPL. Under plans, the kingdom proposed investing as much as $5 billion into the league and helping lead an expansion into other countries, similar to the English Premier League or the European Champions League.
No official statement on the new league has yet been issued by the BCCI.
