The Pakistan veteran Shahid Afridi recently confessed that India has a vast impact on world cricket. The former Pakistan cricketer lauded India as ‘Cricket’s biggest market’. It is a well known fact that the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), with the Indian Premier League (IPL), has done a great job in past few years.
Afridi’s statement came after the BCCI’s most recent deal of INR 48,390 crore, for the IPL media rights. The winners, Disney Star and Viacom 18 (Jio) obtained the media rights for the next cycle (2023-27).
Afridi too was a part of the world’s biggest cricket league and has shared his beliefs on the BCCI’s decision of extending the tournament and preserving a window of two and a half months, in the ICC cricketing calender.
“It all comes down to the market and the economy. The biggest [cricket] market is India. Whatever they will say will happen,” stated Afridi as reported by Samaa TV.
Shahid Afridi represented now-defunct Deccan Chargers, the IPL team, back in 2008, when the tournament was commenced. He managed to play 10 games in the cash-rich league.
No. of matches in IPL to increase in upcoming seasons
Furthermore, the IPL will have 74 games in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The next two seasons will have 84 games and the 2027 season will have 94 games. Overall, the 2023-27 phase will have 410 games.
Besides, Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary had quoted, “That is an aspect we have worked upon. Let me inform you that from the next ICC FTP calendar, IPL will have an official two-and-a-half-month window so that all the top international cricketers can participate. We have had discussions with various boards as well as the ICC.”
Written By Prachi Pisal
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