IPL's hidden sticky wicket

The big bucks disguise structural fault lines

The eye-watering bid for Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc dominated the headlines, as did bids worth Rs 230.45 crore that Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees spent on 72 players in the “mini-auction” on Tuesday. These numbers are justifiably taken as an indicator of the money-spinning capabilities of the IPL, which attained Decacorn status in the 2023 season with a brand valuation of $10.7 billion, according to brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance. But these big bucks actually disguise a structural problem in this game-changing tournament, and that may become evident later. The problems stem from its American-style closed format without the