The Real Reason for the Rise and Rise of BCCI is very simply, a two word answer – MONEY POWER!!
A perfect example of this money power was shown in the recently concluded test series in Australia where the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly announced a bonus of INR 5 Crs. for the Indian Test Cricket Team, in the midst of one of the worst economic meltdown caused by the Covid -19 pandemic.
Humble Beginnings
A meeting was convened by Govan, Patiala and De Mello in Delhi on 21st November 1927, which was attended by around forty-five delegates. This was the very first attempt to have a Board that controlled cricket in India. Another meeting, held at the Bombay Gymkhana on 10th December 1927, ended with a unanimous decision to form a ‘Provisional’ Board of Control to represent cricket in India. The plan was for this ‘Provisional’ Board to cease to function as soon as eight territorial cricket associations were created. Representatives of the eight associations would then come together to constitute the Board.
The Provisional Board met in Mumbai in December 1928 during the Quadrangular tournament. At this meeting the Provisional Board was deemed to have finished its work, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India established. Govan was the first President, and De Mello the first Secretary. Five months later, the ICC admitted India as a Full Member.
The Under-Dog Story in 1983 and operational masterclass in 1987
India’s tryst with cricket began in the first televised world-cup of 1983. Doordarshan took steps to broadcast the world-cup only after India qualified for the Semi-final. However, when it came to the Final, India completed the unlikeliest of victories over the then dominant West-Indies side. This led to an increased interest and kick-started the craze for One Day International Cricket in India.
Buoyed by the unlikely win in 1983, BCCI along with its counterpart PCB choose to bid for the world-cup 1987. It was the first time anyone had bid for staging the world-cup outside England. The bid was upheld by the ICC and the event went on to be a hugely successful event.
Jagmohan Daliya’s Contribution – Road to Privatization
Most people acknowledge that the current financial situation of BCCI is mainly due to the Business acumen of Jagmohan Daliya. In the 1990’s, the state run Doordarshan had a monopoly on the broadcasting rights for cricket and BCCI had to pay them a broadcasting fees of Rs 5 lakhs for each live telecast. It was Dalmiya’s decision to open sports broadcasting to private channels in the country. This meant more money for the game and players. Dalmiya’s genius was not only in bringing private broadcasters on board, but in the timing too. He began this campaign when cricket started growing in popularity and by the late 1990s it was at its peak. He was also instrumental in bringing the 1996 world cup to the sub-continent.
Rise to Power in ICC – Big 3 Model
In 2014, the BCCI had joined hands with the England Cricket Board and Cricket Australia to form the Big Three that had approved a contribution-based revenue distribution system. With India contributing to more than 70 per cent of the ICC’s revenue, its projected share was $570 million for the 2015-2023 rights cycle. However, in 2017, when the ICC dismantled the Big Three model, the BCCI’s revenue share reduced to a little over $400 million.
IPL – The Crown Jewel
To state that the IPL is a cash cow for the BCCI is a major understatement. As of 2019 the TV and Broadcasting rights for the illustrious T20 competition were picked up by Star India for a whooping INR 16,348 Crs. for a period of 5 years. Prior to this the rights were with Sony who paid INR 8,200 Crs. for broadcast rights for a period of 10 years. In the present scenario the BCCI is earning INR 12 Crs. more per IPL match than an international match in which India is involved.
It is said to be a much more lucrative and money rich league as compared to any of the other T-20 cricket leagues played around the world.
Fanatical Fans
No sport can truly be great without the fans. They too are one of the major sources of income for the BCCI. The reactions by fans tend to be a bit extreme but that is down to their fanatical nature and their dedication to the sport. You can always count on Indian Fans to get the desired viewership for any cricket match. In-fact it is a common sight for Australia and England these days to have more Indian Fans then home fans for matches on Foreign Soil. This entire eco-system seems money pouring in and BCCI becoming the number one cricketing board amongst the playing nations.
Conclusion
In my honest opinion the reason BCCI is the cricketing board that it is today is primarily in their ability to convert the Gentleman’s game in to one that appeals to the masses of India.
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Sources:
- https://www.crictracker.com/5-reasons-why-bcci-is-the-richest-cricket-board/2/
- https://www.bcci.tv/about/history
- https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/bcci-proposed-new-revenue-sharing-model-at-icc-meet-6376608/
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-commentary/how-a-cash-strapped-bcci-in-the-early-90s-became-the-worlds-wealthiest-board/
- https://www.livemint.com/
