IPL chairman Arun Dhumal wants cricket to revolve around its big star
Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
Mumbai: It may be time for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to rethink its calendar and give T20 leagues precedence over bilateral series , which are losing steam with fans and sponsors alike, Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Arun Dhumal has said."Cricket is shifting its flavour towards franchise-based formats. If that is the case, we have to prepare ourselves for that situation," Dhumal told ET in an interaction. "So, if that has to happen, the entire scheduling needs to be aligned around these T20 leagues-be it the IPL, Big Bash League, The Hundred, SA20, MLC, or ILT20. At some point, we may need to sit around the table with all stakeholders and decide what should be prioritised."The T20 format has not only reignited interest in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test matches but has also played a key role in expanding cricket's footprint to emerging markets such as the United States and Europe, Dhumal noted."Based on what weather conditions work best for each country, you schedule your leagues accordingly and then plan the bilateral series around them," he said.Currently, the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Future Tours Programme (FTP) is structured around bilateral Tests, ODIs, and ICC events, with the IPL being the only T20 league to have a dedicated window.There are multiple T20 leagues including Australia's Big Bash League, South Africa's SA20, the England and Wales Cricket Board's The Hundred, the UAE's International League T20, and the Caribbean Premier League. Most of these leagues are inspired by the IPL and have IPL team owners-such as Reliance , GMR, and Sun TV Network-owning teams."The IPL is the number one 'Make in India' property post-Independence," Dhumal said.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which owns the IPL, sold the league's media rights for ₹48,390 crore for 2023-27 period.The proposed expansion of IPL to an 84-match format will depend on the availability of a suitable window in the international calendar, Dhumal said. For IPL 2025, the tournament has retained the 74-match format to manage player workload and accommodate a packed FTP schedule."There is no point in adding new teams to the IPL when we are not yet able to optimise the existing structure with 10 teams," he said.According to Dhumal, IPL's current April-May window is becoming tricky to manage due to shifting weather patterns-the Southwest monsoon arrived almost two weeks early this year. But advancing the event is also challenging as the FTP has been finalised until 2027 and media rights deals have already been signed based on that schedule.India is the driver of the global cricket economy, with the ICC generating over 70% of its revenue from the Indian market.The IPL chairman noted that other ICC member boards are struggling to sell media rights for bilateral series and have been requesting the BCCI to play such series to help boost their revenues.He said IPL viewership continues to remain strong on TV and digital platforms, despite a one-week suspension caused by the India-Pakistan conflict, which disrupted the tournament's momentum.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Painting believed to be only one Mahatma Gandhi sat for going under hammer at Bonhams
TOI correspondent from London : An oil portrait believed to be the only painting Mahatma Gandhi ever sat for is going under the hammer at Bonhams in July with an estimate of £50,000-£70,000 (Rs 58 lakh to Rs 81 lakh. ) It is the first time this portrait has ever been sold at auction as it remained in British artist Clare Leighton's collection until her death in 1989, after which it was passed down through her family. Leighton, reputed for her wooden engravings, was introduced to Gandhi when he visited London in 1931 to attend the Second Round Table Conference. At the time, she was in a relationship with political journalist Henry Noel Brailsford, who was a passionate supporter of Indian Independence. He had travelled to India in 1930 where he met key Independence figures. Afterwards he published the book 'Rebel India', met Gandhi in London in 1931 and introduced Leighton to him. She became one of very few artists admitted to his office and was given the opportunity to sit with him to sketch and paint him in 1931. In Nov 1931 Leighton showcased her portraits at the Albany Galleries in London. The following month, Gandhi's personal secretary, Mahadev Desai, wrote a letter to Leighton, a copy of which is attached to the backing board, which reads: 'It was such a pleasure to have had you here for many mornings doing Mr Gandhi's portrait.' According to the artist's family, the portrait was on public display in 1974 when it was allegedly attacked with a knife by a Hindu right-wing activist. The catalogue entry states: 'We have found no documentation to corroborate this, but the painting shows signs of restoration to what appears to be repaired tears in several places. A label attached to the backing board confirms the painting was restored in 1974 by the Lyman Allyn Museum Conservation Laboratory. ' 'There is nothing comparable to this painting in existence as it was painted in his lifetime and was a painting that he sat for on multiple occasions,' Rhyanon Demery, head of sale, told TOI. The auction takes place from 7 to 15 July.
Hindustan Times
19 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Trump signs order to double steel, aluminium import tariffs to 50%
New Delhi: A 50% tariff on steel and aluminium imports into the United States went into effect on Wednesday, doubling the previous rate as President Donald Trump cited national security concerns for the dramatic escalation in trade protections. The new tariff rates, increased from an earlier 25% rate, were announced by Trump in a statement on Tuesday. The president claimed legal authority to impose the tariffs through Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the president to address national security risks arising from imports. 'In my judgement, the increased tariffs will more effectively counter foreign countries that continue to offload low-priced, excess steel and aluminium in the United States market and thereby undercut the competitiveness of the United States steel and aluminium industries,' read Trump's statement released by the White House. Trump said the earlier 25% tariff rates, first announced in February and implemented on March 12, had helped America's steel industry but had not enabled companies to maintain the capacity needed to meet national defence needs. 'I have determined that increasing the previously imposed tariffs will provide greater support to these industries and reduce or eliminate the national security threat posed by imports of steel and aluminium articles and their derivative articles,' Trump said. The tariff increase comes amid broader trade disputes at the World Trade Organisation. Several countries, including India, have formally challenged the US measures, characterising them as 'safeguard measures' that violate WTO rules and threaten retaliatory action. In May, India formally notified the WTO that it viewed America's tariffs on steel and aluminium as safeguard measures and indicated it could suspend 'concessions and other obligations' given to the US and that it retains the right to enforce retaliatory measures. On May 22, America rejected India's characterisation of the tariffs as safeguard measures and refused to engage in talks on the matter. The introduction of tariffs has proven controversial within the US. The America Iron and Steel Institute, an industry group, has welcomed the increased tariffs as a necessary measure to protect domestic producers from cheaper foreign competition. However, manufacturers using steel as input for production have publicly raised concerns that more expensive steel will impact competitiveness across other domestic industries. For India specifically, the consequences are direct and substantial. According to the Global Trade Research Institute (GTRI), a New Delhi-based research group, India exported $4.56 billion worth of iron, steel, and aluminium products to the US in FY2025, with key categories including $587.5 million in iron and steel, $3.1 billion in articles of iron or steel, and $860 million in aluminium and related articles. 'These exports are now exposed to sharply higher US tariffs, threatening the profitability of Indian producers and exporters,' the GTRI said in a brief.
Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
After US, Amul launches milk in Spain, EU
Vadodara: After making waves in the United States, home-grown dairy giant Amul has now stepped into Europe, launching its fresh milk products in Spain and the European Union (EU). The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (Amul Fed) announced a strategic partnership with Spain's premier dairy cooperative, Cooperativa Ganadera del Valle de los Pedroches (COVAP), to bring Amul milk to European shelves. The official launch ceremony was held at the Indian Embassy in Madrid and was attended by dignitaries including Dinesh K Patnaik, India's ambassador to Spain; D Fernando Heredia Noguera, deputy director for International Relations and Community Affairs at the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; Ricardo Delgado Vizcaíno, president of COVAP and senior executives from Amul. Initially, Amul milk will be available in Madrid and Barcelona, with plans to expand soon to Malaga, Valencia, Alicante, Seville, Córdoba, and even Lisbon in neighbouring Portugal. Looking ahead, Amul aims to spread its presence to Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and beyond. Jayen Mehta, managing director of GCMMF, expressed pride in the collaboration: "Partnering with COVAP, a respected Spanish dairy cooperative, allows us to nourish Spanish consumers with the goodness of Amul milk. This is the first time Amul fresh milk is being launched in Europe and it aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make Amul a truly global dairy brand." Marking the United Nations' International Year of Cooperatives in 2025, Mehta added, "We are confident that Amul will connect with Indians worldwide and showcase the power of cooperation between dairy cooperatives." Ricardo Delgado Vizcaíno highlighted the mutual benefits: "This partnership helps both COVAP's farmer-members and Indian dairy farmers grow their brands, combining COVAP's technology and high-quality milk with Amul's renowned global reputation." Founded in 1959 in Córdoba, COVAP is a key player in Andalusia's agri-food sector with over 2,000 farmer-members. Its state-of-the-art dairy plant processes more than 400 million litres of milk annually and exports to over 30 countries, including the US, UK, and Asia. Amul, the world's largest farmer-owned dairy cooperative, processes over 12 billion litres of milk annually. With a brand turnover exceeding $11 billion, Amul ranks as the eighth-largest milk processor globally, operating 112 dairy plants across India and handling 42 million litres of milk per day.
