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Time of India
15 hours ago
- Time of India
BCCI nets Rs 9,741 cr in FY24, IPL alone accounts for 59%
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earned INR 9,741.7 crore in revenue during the financial year 2023–24, as per the latest ICYMI report citing official data. The IPL alone contributed INR 5,761 crore, that's over 59 percent of the board's total earnings. A two-month tournament generating more than half the annual revenue of the world's richest cricket board speaks volumes of the event's commercial heft. From media rights and sponsorships to ticketing and merchandise, the IPL remains BCCI's crown jewel. According to the report, the BCCI received a hefty INR 1,042 crore from the International Cricket Council (ICC), accounting for 10.70 percent of its total revenue. While cricket was being played on the field, the BCCI was quietly making money off it. Interest from fixed deposits and investments contributed INR 987 crore to the board's income, a smart financial play that made up over 10 percent of total revenues. In a notable debut, the Women's Premier League (WPL) brought in INR 378 crore, signaling a strong start and a potentially transformative shift for women's cricket in India. Meanwhile, broadcasting rights for non-IPL international matches contributed INR 361 crore, reaffirming that traditional cricket still holds considerable value. Adding to this were INR 361 crore from ticket sales, hospitality, and commercial rights related to Men's internationals tours, and INR 400 crore from miscellaneous sources proving that even off-the-pitch cricket sells. The report concluded, with 59 percent of its revenue from IPL and growing streams like WPL and global rights, BCCI has built a billion-rupee engine powered by fan love, smart deals, and cricketing excellence.
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Business Standard
16 hours ago
- Business Standard
IPL ownership in The Hundred: ECB's new lifeline for county cricket
English county cricket is undergoing a major transformation as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) welcomes investment from Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners into The Hundred tournament. At a time when financial strain threatens the future of several traditional county clubs, this influx of funding offers a much-needed lifeline. With only a few counties reaping the majority of cricket revenue, the injection of capital from both IPL and American investors promises to level the playing field. The ECB's bold move to sell stakes in The Hundred is being seen as a turning point—one that could not only revive county cricket but make it sustainable and competitive once again. Investment uplift amid financial divide The current financial landscape of English county cricket reveals deep economic inequalities. While a few top-tier counties command significant revenue streams, many smaller clubs find themselves struggling to stay afloat. Counties without a Hundred team, including Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, depend heavily on ECB funding to survive each season. The ECB's move to open up The Hundred to private ownership aims to narrow this financial gap. The sale of equity in the eight Hundred franchises is expected to generate substantial revenue, with a portion of it allocated to all 18 first-class counties—regardless of whether they host a Hundred side or not. IPL and American investors reshape The Hundred Four franchises in The Hundred have secured backing from IPL owners. Oval Invincibles, Northern Superchargers, Manchester Originals and Southern Brave have attracted investments from management teams behind leading IPL clubs such as Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals. The remaining four franchises—Trent Rockets, London Spirit, Birmingham Phoenix and Welsh Fire—are now supported by American investors, bringing fresh capital and global sports business expertise to English cricket. According to those involved in the transition, this strategic mix of Indian and US investment is not only about financial sustainability but also knowledge-sharing and operations enhancement. Building facilities, fans and futures Warwickshire County Cricket Club CEO Stuart Cain has pointed out that this new funding can drive improvements beyond the Hundred-hosting counties. By investing in better stadiums, clubs can enhance the matchday experience, attract more spectators and increase revenue streams. Cain also cited his club's plan to develop an on-site hotel at Edgbaston as an example of how counties can use the money smartly to build long-term revenue-generation avenues. He added that counties disadvantaged by the Hundred's franchise locations now have the financial means to improve infrastructure and strengthen teams, especially for formats like red-ball cricket and the T20 Blast. Talent development and raising standards Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that the influx of investment will go beyond infrastructure upgrades and play a key role in player development. He urged counties to collaborate more closely and break away from traditional rivalries to ensure best practices are shared across the board. Former Indian wicketkeeper and Lancashire legend Farokh Engineer echoed this sentiment, recalling a time when county cricket regularly featured global stars. He expressed hope that the renewed financial backing will raise the standard of play and restore county cricket to its former prestige. Making the most of the windfall Stakeholders agree that how counties handle the new funding will define the long-term success of this initiative. The money alone won't fix structural issues unless it's invested strategically in facilities, player development, fan engagement and marketing. The IPL has provided a model of sustainable, high-quality cricket through smart management, and there's a strong belief that English counties can learn from this approach to evolve their own systems. As the fifth season of The Hundred approaches, the ECB's openness to global investment has set the stage for a new era in English cricket. It's a defining moment—one that could decide whether county cricket merely survives or is truly reborn.
The Hindu
19 hours ago
- The Hindu
Reclaiming the social dimensions of higher education in India
As admissions unfold across universities and colleges in India, one cannot help but notice the aggressive advertising blitz of private institutions and coaching centres. From glowing endorsements of alumni who cracked top-tier competitive exams to slick presentations of rankings and accreditations, higher education is increasingly being packaged and promoted as a premium commodity. These campaigns — ubiquitous across billboards, social media platforms, and even IPL ad breaks — rarely speak of learning, community, or growth. Instead, they sell a vision of education defined by metrics, placements, and prestige. Setting aside valid concerns raised by scholars about the opaque and often dubious nature of many ranking mechanisms, the deeper issue is what this kind of messaging reveals — and obscures — about our understanding of higher education. In its current form, it reflects a predominantly commodified imagination: education as a product, students as customers, and degrees as guarantees of personal return on investment. Lost in this model is the idea of education as a public good — one that nurtures not only individual potential but also collective responsibility, critical thinking, and civic engagement. Narrow vision At the heart of this commodification lies the increasing privatisation of Indian higher education. Severe and sustained underfunding of public universities has created a vacuum eagerly filled by private institutions and coaching industries. These cater largely to the upper and upper-middle classes, reinforcing a narrow and exclusionary vision of higher education — accessible primarily to those who can afford it, and tailored towards individual success rather than societal contribution. Such privatisation has also shaped how we now conceive the delivery of education. The rise of online degrees, micro-credentials, AI-based tutoring, and other forms of 'flexible learning' is often celebrated as innovation. However, these tools are frequently deployed within a hyper-individualised framework, where learning is imagined as a solitary activity — on screens, in apps, through automated feedback loops. But education is not a transactional download of information; it is a social, dialogic, and developmental process. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed, with brutal clarity, the hollowness of isolated learning — widespread reports documented sharp declines in engagement, comprehension, and well-being among students across levels. What is increasingly overlooked is the unique value of physical universities: spaces that, at their best, foster diverse interactions, cultivate critical inquiry, and nurture habits of collective deliberation. These are not incidental features; they are essential to the democratic and transformative potential of education. When we reduce education to a mere skill-building exercise for the job market, we strip it of its deeper purpose: to cultivate thinking citizens, empathetic leaders, and socially conscious individuals. Certainly, one cannot ignore the genuine concerns driving many families and students to embrace a utilitarian view of education. In a country grappling with chronic unemployment and economic insecurity, the pressure to secure a stable, well-paying job is immense. But what is more troubling is how this instrumental vision is being institutionalised and encouraged by universities themselves. Many are increasingly aligning their curricula, research, and training programmes with the immediate demands of the private sector and prioritising short-term industry needs over long-term social relevance. This trend is reflected in the rhetoric around 'skills-based education', now a buzzword in policy and institutional circles. While skilling is important, equating it with education risks reducing universities to glorified placement agencies. The ultimate marker of success, as often celebrated in university brochures, is the student's placement in a multinational company with a lucrative salary package. What is absent is any discussion on whether this trajectory contributes to the larger public good or whether it merely serves the interests of a few. Ironically, while private industry increasingly shapes the objectives of higher education, its financial contribution remains negligible. It is the public that largely funds the production of human capital, only for the benefits to accrue privately. This arrangement is neither fair nor sustainable. It reinforces inequality, exploits public investment, and erodes the possibility of imagining education as a shared societal endeavour. Shift in orientation What is urgently needed, then, is a collective effort to reclaim the social dimensions of higher education — how it is funded, how it is delivered, and to what ends it aspires. This begins with a renewed commitment to robust public investment in universities, not just in infrastructure but also in faculty, research, and student support systems. It also demands a reorientation of our pedagogical models to prioritise collaboration, dialogue, and critical engagement over isolated content consumption. Most importantly, it calls for a cultural shift: a revaluation of education as a means to build an enlightened, egalitarian, and mutually sustaining society. This vision must resist the seduction of glitzy advertisements and hollow rankings, and instead affirm the transformative power of education to shape not only careers but also communities. At a time when education is being sold on bus banners and TV slots, we must ask: are we investing in a future built on shared values and knowledge or merely purchasing tickets to personal advancement? The writer is an assistant professor with the Department of Professional Studies, Christ University, Bengaluru.
