IPL Chairman Confident in IPL’s Dominance Amid New T20 Leagues. Arun Singh Dhumal, the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), reassured that the IPL remains the leading Twenty20 competition worldwide, even with the emergence of similar franchise-based tournaments in various countries. Despite lucrative leagues starting in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa this year, as well as the upcoming Major League Cricket in the United States, Dhumal expressed confidence in the IPL’s continued prominence in franchise cricket.

While players now have more options to showcase their talents, Dhumal emphasized that the IPL has no competition and is unmatched in its status. In a telephone conversation with Reuters, he stated, “We don’t see anyone else as our competition, there is none even close to IPL. Our best wishes to all the boards starting their own T20 leagues, but I don’t think any of them can be a threat to IPL.”

Dhumal’s optimism stems from the remarkable viewership numbers of this year’s IPL, particularly through its digital partner, Jio Cinema. The Chennai Super Kings’ thrilling victory over the Gujarat Titans in the final garnered over 120 million unique viewers, with a peak concurrency of 32.1 million. The IPL’s success can be attributed to the intense competitiveness of the tournament and the fans’ tremendous response.

Since its inception in 2008, the IPL has maintained its popularity, aided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) policy of not permitting its players to participate in foreign leagues. Dhumal confirmed that the IPL will remain a 10-team event, and if it receives a larger window in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) calendar, the number of matches per season may increase from 74 to 94.

While the IPL offers substantial financial rewards for its participants, there have been calls from the global cricketers’ association for players to receive a larger share of the league’s revenue. However, Dhumal stated that there have been no discussions regarding an increase in the $11.5 million salary cap for each franchise. Any decisions on this matter would require consultations with the franchises and team owners.

Addressing media reports, Dhumal dismissed speculation that the IPL intends to organize matches in Saudi Arabia or assist the country in establishing its own T20 league. He stated that it is the ICC’s responsibility to expand the game beyond traditional areas, and while the BCCI has aided other nations in the past, the idea of a T20 league in Saudi Arabia is purely speculative.