How the IPL reflects India’s strengths—and weaknesses
The cricket league is a useful lens through which to see the country
IN AUGUST THE Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), a sports-administration body, invited sealed bids for two new franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL), an annual domestic tournament of the world’s greatest sport. Two months later, at an event in Dubai, it opened the envelopes. The BCCI had set a confident minimum price of $270m for each team. The largest bid was an eye-popping $940m. The next biggest stood at $750m—more than the total price of all eight franchises when the league started in 2008.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Beyond the boundary”
Asia
March 26th 2022- How the IPL reflects India’s strengths—and weaknesses
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