Globally, cricket is considered a very popular game and has gained enough traction among its audience and fans. It is from the later part of the 19th century, that cricket roared through the hearts of the people and surged up the cricketing spirits in the spectators. In the year 1844, the game of bat and ball started at an international level and it was until 1877 that cricket in the Test matches emerged as a likely perspective for the audience. 

How Profitable is Cricket? 

Reports are suggesting that the profitability of Match which includes the market value of the sport along with the revenue skyrocketed with the digitalization that took place in the 20th and the 21st century. There are several countries that are associated with sports under the International Cricket Council (ICC). And this number has increased over the years, which shows more attraction toward the game. 

All of these participants have a lasting effect on the market value of cricket on the global front. The inception of the game came many years ago and Test cricket did not have a system of limited overs. Official reports say that the first Test match happened in 1877 between Australia and England. In the current times, cricket has generated a vast amount of revenue streams.

In 1977, the first One Day International took place when the West Indies gladly welcomed Pakistan. When time struck 2003, T20s series came into existence and the modern-day format of cricket was hugely empowered and encouraged. We can say from surveys that T20s has become a very popular form of cricket that has about 92 % interest rate among the spectators and fans. The ODIs have an interesting figure of 88 % followed by Test Match at 70 %.

Dawn of IPL : 

In recent years of 20 matches, competition has instilled a lot of fun and excitement in the game. Several global leagues have been launched that includes the famous Indian Premier League. In 2018, IPL had a net worth of £4.6 billion. The Big Bash was worth about £732.5 million, whereas the teams alone were valued at £530 million. Together it stood at a value of £1.262 billion. 

In 2018, a report emerged that said India contributed the largest share of the revenue of cricket. Everyone should accept that the Indian Premier League provides some of the largest revenue of the game. The reason behind such growth comes from the fact that from the year 2007, viewership increased at a rapid pace. Of cricket’s one billion fans and spectators, about 90 % of them are from India.

The Indian economy has scaled at a massive rate in the last decades and the game of cricket plays a pivotal role in that. In 2018, figures indicate that IPL accounts for almost half of the revenue of the Board of Control of Cricket in India. This along with broadcasting rights and huge sponsorships adds to the value of the game. It can roughly be considered that the overall valuation of cricket might be around £6 billion. 

How many countries participate in cricket? 

Well! Cricket has been there since the 1500s and currently, there are about 104 nations, that are official members of the ICC. This includes 12 Full Members along with 92 Associate Members.  On one side, when history has 10 days long match between England and South Africa in the year 1939, the other side has T20s, which offers short matches with stiff competition and a fast character of the game.

The International Cricket Council ICC Global Development Team operates on about 5 continents and is continuously strengthening its team by supporting 92 Associate Members (AMs) to grow the game of cricket in their respective territories. Help comes in form of government support, performance supervision, diverse marketing campaigns, and creating commercial pathways for the game. Currently, there are about 1.5 million participants apart from the 92 members who are collaborating with ICC.

How many countries participate in cricket and why? 

There are countries that do not participate in the game and that has certain reasons. History shows that the British presented the game of cricket to the entire world. It is taken into consideration that cricket is popular and accepted among nations that have been previously colonized by the British, which includes India, Australia, South Africa, and many more.

In this backdrop countries like Russia, France, Japan, Switzerland and many more do not engage with the game. For all these countries cricket is taken as a colonial sport which they do not encourage. Countries like Spain, Germany, and Argentina love football and they are more than happy with that side sport. 

Who are the sponsors of cricket in India? 

Sponsors are always a huge part of cricket and in India, there are a few notable brands. In cricket, BYJU’s and Star Sport are the Team sponsors. BYJU’s is an Indian Edtech giant that officially became the sponsor in the month of July 2019. The agreement was extended for about eighteen months in the month of June 2022. Information portrays that the deal is scheduled to end in the year 2023. 

In 2018, Star India won the rights of broadcasting BCCI-affiliated matches that are played in India. The deal has been set for about five years. The bid won by Star India, valued at Rs. 6,138.1 crores, defeated Sony Pictures Networks India along with Reliance Jio.

In September 2022, Mastercard got the rights for title sponsorship of the BCCI. The financial services company will be sponsoring both men’s and women’s national teams for global and domestic games. 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian legend of cricket, has been a long-time ambassador of Mastercard said “Cricket has been my life and given me everything I have. I am thrilled that Mastercard is sponsoring all the home cricket matches of the BCCI, especially domestic, junior, and women’s cricket. The Ranji and junior players of today will play for the country tomorrow and continue to embody the pride of 1.3 billion Indians.”. 

Match in India also has Dream 11 (now handed to TATA), Ambuja Cement, and Hyundai Motors as the official sponsors. The rights of Hyundai and Ambuja Cement are noted to end in the year 2023. The Mobile Premier League or MPL Sports is the Kit Sponsor of the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI. It is reported that the agreement is set to end in 2023. 

Cricket is a great game and India loves it. It is upon ICC to spread the global outreach of the game and pave for an audience. The fans of match find the game interesting and enjoyable and it is strongly expected that the next generation will carry on this passion for more memorable matches in the history of cricket.