Seventeen years is a long time, the ones born in 2008 are now stepping out of their adolescence, ready to embrace adulthood, in fact, it’s one-third or one-fourth of the lifespan of an average human being. During this period, the world coped with numerous challenges like recession, conflicts, Covid pandemic, and adapted to new normals amidst multiple changes but the one that has remained a constant is the Indian Premier League that kickstarts its 18th season with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders locking horns with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Eden Gardens, in Kolkata on Saturday.
What began as a bold experiment has evolved into an unstoppable force that has reshaped cricket’s identity. Even its staunchest critics have been swept away by its charm. For a league that has always been ahead of its time, turning 18 feels almost ceremonial.
The tournament has long played the role of the disruptor, rewriting cricket’s traditions, redefining its audience and setting new benchmarks for entertainment. It has restructured the global cricketing calendar, commanding a presence so dominant that international schedules bow in deference.
In India, 18 is an age of transition, when one gains the right to vote, drive and make independent choices, but the IPL has already bypassed the usual trajectory of growth, racing from infancy to dictating terms to the cricketing world, reshaping careers while giving a platform to numerous cricketers from the remotest of corners, and stood the test of time even after being embroiled in one of the darkest phases of its existence.
For former cricketers, the league has opened up a wealth of post-retirement opportunities. They can transition into coaching, step into the commentary box, launch academies or juggle all three.
A Billion-Dollar Juggernaut
The IPL’s popularity is best understood in numbers which are staggering, mind-boggling figures that highlight its economic might. According to American investment bank Houlihan Lokey’s 2024 IPL Valuation Study, the league’s brand value stands at an astounding $3.4 billion, while its cumulative worth has soared to $16.4 billion.
Globally, the IPL has emerged as the second-richest television sport, trailing only the NFL. The media rights for the 2023-2027 cycle were sold for a jaw-dropping $6.1 billion per year. To put its meteoric rise in perspective, Sony paid just $1 billion for the first decade of IPL broadcasting rights — a six-fold leap in under two decades.
The IPL’s influence extends far beyond the boundary ropes, weaving itself into the fabric of multiple industries and transforming the sporting landscape. It has created a thriving ecosystem that fuels tourism, hospitality, apparel, ticketing and sports technology. Stadiums now require larger workforces and an entire service industry has emerged around match days, from hotel bookings to merchandise sales. The rise of fantasy sports has added another dimension, evolving into a billion-dollar industry that keeps fans engaged beyond just watching the game.
More significantly, the IPL has changed societal perceptions of sport as a career. Parents, once wary of their children pursuing cricket professionally, now see it as a viable and lucrative path. This has also led to other sports attempting to replicate the IPL model, with varying degrees of success, proving that the league is more than just a tournament, it’s a blueprint for the future of professional sport.
At 18, the IPL stands not as a tournament but as a legacy in motion, a revolution that grew up too fast and never looked back.