Inspired by the English Premier League and the likes, this round-robin format cricket league features some of the best cricketers in the tournament, year after year. The league originally started with 8 participants, but the 2022 edition will see 2 new franchises, taking the total count to 10.

Now, the IPL is not the only such cricket league in the world - it has its counterparts like the Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, T10 League, Caribbean Premier League and many, many more. But what separates the Indian Premier League from the herd is its incredible pedigree, the player and team profiles, and of course, some incredible marketing and entertaining matches.

The Entertainment is Spot On

The very first match in the IPL history, dating back to April 2008, saw Brendon McCullum of Kolkata Knight Riders blast 158 runs off 73 balls to put a target of 223 runs for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Fast forward a few years to 2013, when Chris Gayle scored a stunning 175 not out off 66 balls for the Bangalore outfit, giving them a total of 263 runs. Similarly, in the 2019, Mumbai Indians won the IPL final and their 4th trophy after defeating Chennai Super Kings by just 1 run!

And of course, who can forget the cheerleaders who constantly engage the fans in the stadiums with scintillating dance moves at every boundary or a wicket.

If we are to look back at the history of the IPL through the 12 odd years or so, we will find it dotted with many such memorable matches where fans got their absolute value for money, and then some more. All the big games are hyped by media outlets while the post-match features and highlights also provide some entertainment value to those who missed the games live.

Then, you have the overseas players themselves who add further to the glamour of the league. Who’s who of cricket participate in the IPL every season, coming from nations like Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, among others, and join hands with Indian players to create some quality, entertaining cricket.

In other words, you will never be bored when you are following the Indian Premier League.

There is a Lot of Money in the IPL

In 2015, the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) mentioned that the IPL contributed approximately $180 million to India’s GDP. This was six years ago and since then, the league has grown exponentially in popularity. In 2019, it was estimated that the IPL brand value is upwards of $6.5 billion.

Whether we talk about the sponsorship, viewership, broadcasting rights, merchandise sales, or even IPL online betting, you will find mad money at every corner. So much so that instead of curbing the IPL 2020 owing to the pandemic, it was moved to the UAE and conducted in empty stadiums to keep the financial momentum going.

Plus, the IPL betting is so prevalent in India that the government and authorities lose out on millions and millions of potential tax revenues. IPL draws in a lot of betting action internationally as well, which explains why it has such a high fan following. Websites like 10Cric already offer a variety of cricket odds on most local Indian cricket games.

Then, you have the franchises themselves who are branding and marketing themselves with a lot of panache and elegance. Case in point, we have Mumbai Indians who are currently the most valued IPL team in the history, understandably so having won 5 IPL titles already.

IPL has truly gone out of the way to make itself the most popular cricket league in the world. In fact, it wasn’t aggressive trying as much as the sheer quality of the players and matches that brought the crowds to the stands. In many ways, it is also natural to see the IPL achieve this remarkable feat - after all, the league comes from a cricket-crazy nation that reveres the sport.