IPL in Saudi Arabia? Here’s what the league’s chairman has to say on Gulf expansion buzz

Nearing two decades of existence, brand IPL has become stronger than ever and doesn’t see any threat from the growing number of T20 leagues globally, its chairman Arun Dhumal said on Saturday as he steered clear of the speculation swirling around an event backed by Saudi Arabia. Speaking to PTI as the league enters its 18th edition, Dhumal said the BCCI supports the rise in number of T20 leagues globally, especially in unchartered territories like Saudi Arabia, Europe and the USA. He feels the growth will eventually help the game ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where cricket will be played.

“There is no point discussing something on the basis of speculation. There is nothing on the table for discussion with everyone (all stakeholders). And as far as my knowledge goes, there is no infrastructure as of now in Saudi Arabia that can cater to a tournament of this scale.

“So, there is no point discussing speculative stories,” said the IPL chairman.
Plenty has been reported in international media about the oil-rich Saudi Arabia foraying into cricket over the last two years but nothing concrete has come out of those speculations.

Having said that, Saudi Arabia has been a sponsor in the IPL and hosted the mega auction last year.

Now there is fresh chatter around a tennis Grand Slam styled league funded by the Arab giant but concrete details are yet to emerge. The IPL is estimated to be at valued at over USD 12 billion and in terms of per match, it is the second most valued sporting league in the world, only behind behind the NFL in the United States. In that context, no other cricket league poses a threat to the IPL. In fact, IPL owners have been expanding their footprint with investments in leagues organised by foreign boards including CPL, SA20, MLC, ILT20 and most recently The Hundred in the UK.

“The idea of getting cricket into the Olympics is that the game grows through the length and breadth of the globe. It is good that more leagues are taking shape and we don’t see anybody as a threat,” said Dhumal.

“We would want to make sure that more and more games happen across the different territories, the newer territories. Whether it is Saudi, America, Europe, it doesn’t matter. Nobody can stop anybody and we would not want to stop anyone.

“We would only focus on strengthening our tournament and our property.”

In the run-up to this year’s IPL, England star Harry Brook was handed a two-year ban for pulling out of his contract with Delhi Capitals, causing quite a flutter.

Dhumal defended the sanction which led to quite a debate.

“Teams pick players auction with a particular strategy in mind. In case a player withdraws from the tournament without a genuine reason, it changes the whole gameplan of the impacted and also affects the tournament,” said Dhumal, clarifying that the two-year suspension will include the season that a player has withdrawn from.

On the varied opinions around the Impact Player Rule, Dhumal added: “The response we got from fans and broadcasters was very positive. It has elevated the standard of the game. Keeping that in mind, we have extended it till 2027.

“As far as the debate around development of Indian all-rounders are concerned, IPL has raised benchmark for quality bowlers and batters and this would ensure a raise in benchmark for quality all-rounders as well.”

Revoking a five-year-old ban on saliva and introducing new technologies this season are in line with IPL’s vision to improve every season, said Dhumal.

“…we took a feedback from all the captains. And they were wanting this to be lifted, given that it gives some leeway to bowlers in what is predominantly a batters’ game,” he said.

On introducing DRS for height and off-stump wides, and, allowing the use of two balls in the second innings to counter the dew factor, Dhumal added: “See, the quality of the game improves with the fairness of the game. The way technology is improving, it is helping in making the best decisions.”

To rival the popularity and value of the likes of NFL, NBA and the English Premier League, the IPL needs a much bigger window than the current two-month slot it operates in. Considering bilaterals and ICC events remain a big part of the game, it is tough to increase IPL’s duration at least till the 2031 cycle.

As and when possible, Dhumal said a bigger window for IPL will benefit all stakeholders.

“When a bigger window is available, we would want to increase the number of games and the duration of tournament,” said Dhumal, who is also in the chief executives committee of the International Cricket Council.

“If you ask from the players perspective, this is the one tournament no player in the world would want to miss out on. In that sense, in case there is a bigger window and more games, it works well for everyone.”

However, Dhumal stressed the IPL must continue to innovate to maintain its supremacy by enhancing experience for the fans.

“The fan is at the heart of any sport…Our goal is to solidify IPL’s position as the world’s premier sporting league.

“Our efforts are reflected in the consistent viewership records broken in India, alongside the significant surge in viewership across the UK, USA, Australia, Malaysia, and the Middle East.

“And since there is a shift happening towards club cricket with a lot many leagues growing on the footsteps of IPL. So, in that sense, IPL has to be the leader for all other leagues to follow.”