Different types of sports are played all around the globe, but there are very few sports that receive immense love from billions of people residing in different parts of the world. Cricket is one such sport. Also referred to as “The Gentleman’s Game,” the sport boasts a fanbase spanning over 2 billion.
Moreover, when it comes to viewership, the sport stands second only to football. Every year, tons of major international, as well as domestic tournaments amass billions of views. According to The Indian Express, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 amassed a massive viewership of over 167 million.
Besides watching cricket matches on their virtual screen, ardent fans of the game can have a more immersive experience by indulging in fantasy cricket. As the name suggests, fantasy cricket refers to an online fantasy game where players can create a virtual cricket team of 11 players from an upcoming real-life match.
Individuals who wish to play cricket fantasy can easily do so by downloading a suitable fantasy cricket application on their smartphone, registering on the platform, and getting started. Fantasy cricket is an excellent outlet for individuals who wish to test their cricket knowledge and predict the outcome of real-life games.
Similar to other popular sports forms, cricket tournaments and leagues are regulated by a number of authoritative bodies and councils. When it comes to any cricket-related programs or events in India, the BCCI is the main governing body that looks after everything. This article will shed light on what the BCCI is and cover numerous aspects related to it. Let us dive right into it:
What is BCCI?
BCCI, or the Board of Control for Cricket in India, is a national body responsible for handling or governing cricket-related affairs and tournaments in India. The authoritative body was founded almost 9 decades ago, in 1928. It is headquartered at the famous Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The powerful body is closely associated with ICC or the International Cricket Council. Moreover, it is also deemed the wealthiest cricket board in the world. Its logo is derived from British India’s flag, which was the official emblem during the colonial period.
BCCI is the governing body responsible for controlling any tournament held inside or outside of India. Besides this, the BCCI also holds the authority to recruit players, umpires, and match officials for participation in international cricket events. BCCI comprises numerous elected officials.
Representatives of state cricket associations generally elect them. At the top of the hierarchical structure of the BCCI stands its president. The president is the head of management and is the figure who makes critical decisions. The current president of the BCCI is Sourav Ganguly, who is a former player and captain of the Indian Cricket Team.
Besides the president, the BCCI board comprises 27 state board associations and 3 non-playing members from the 5 cricket zones of India, which are namely the north zone, south zone, east zone, west zone, and central zone. Some of the major tournaments conducted by the national cricket body of India include the IPL (Indian Premier League), Irani Cup, Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, etc.
Furthermore. BCCI is deemed one of the most impactful and powerful cricket organizations in the world, and thus, there are numerous laws that come under it. Some of the most prominent rules include laws related to players, umpires, scorers, appeals, players, conduct, etc.
How Does the BCCI Make Money?
The BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world, thanks to multiple revenue streams. Four major revenue streams finance the powerful cricket board. Here is a detailed look at each:
Media/Streaming Rights – Out of all the sources, the BCCI’s primary source of income or funding is the media rights that it grants to significant companies for broadcasting cricket tournaments and leagues. IT recently sold the broadcasting rights of the next five seasons of the Indian Premier League to Mukesh Ambani-backed Viacom 18 Studios. As per reports, the deal is worth thousands of crores.
Title Sponsors – As the name suggests, the title sponsors hold the right to showcase their names before any major tournament conducted by the BCCI. For instance, Tata is the company that currently holds the title rights to the upcoming IPL editions. Besides the Indian Premier League, other significant tournaments have title sponsors (Paytm Ranji Trophy). To acquire title rights, major companies pay hefty amounts of money to the BCCI.
Official Sponsors – Every team in domestic tournaments like the IPL or International tournaments has numerous sponsors, which are also called official sponsors. For instance, Mastercard, a major company, recently became the sponsor for all domestic and international matches. The name of the official sponsor is printed on the teams’ jerseys, which helps enhance the sponsors’ recognition. Like all other sponsors, the official sponsors also pay a massive amount of money to the BCCI.
Kit Sponsors – Every domestic team or the Indian Cricket Team has official jerseys. The responsibility for manufacturing jerseys goes to the Kit sponsors. For instance, the current kit sponsor of the Indian Cricket Team is Nike. The multinational company is responsible for manufacturing and supplying the Indian Cricket Team’s official jerseys.
Being the largest cricket board in the world, BCCI holds tons of responsibilities. However, the board ensures that all types of cricket tournaments and leagues are organized and held without any obstacles or issues. If you wish to know all about the Board for Control of Cricket in India, refer to the points mentioned above.
