Shahid Afridi Hails India As Biggest Cricket Market, Says 'Whatever They Will Say Will Happen'

The media rights for 2023-2027 have been sold for Rs 48,390 crore for 410 matches, a premium of 2.7 times the winning bid of Rs 16,347.50 crore for both TV and digital by Star India in September.

Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi said whatever India says will happen in world cricket. ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi admitted that India dominated world cricket, adding that the reason why India is dominating the world cricket is because it is the "biggest cricket market". "It all comes down to the market and the economy. The biggest [cricket] market is India. Whatever they will say will happen," Afridi was quoted as saying by Samaa TV.

Talking about the Indian Premier League (IPL) and its recently announced two-and-a-half-month window, T20 World Cup winning player Afridi said India is good enough to do so. Afridi belives the long window of IPL is going to affect international cricket.

Disney Star won the coveted IPL Indian sub-continent televison (TV) media rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a whopping Rs 23,575 crore, while Viacom18 grabbed the digital rights with a bid of Rs 23,758 crore at the media rights auction.

The media rights for 2023-2027 have been sold for a whopping Rs 48,390 crore for 410 matches in the auction, a premium of 170 per cent or 2.7 times the winning bid of Rs 16,347.50 crore for both TV and digital by Star India in September 2017. After United States’ National Football League (NFL), the Indian Premier League (IPL) is now the second most valued sporting event. 

"That is an aspect we have worked upon. Let me inform you that from the next ICC FTP calendar, IPL will have an official two-and-a-half-month window so that all the top international cricketers can participate. We have had discussions with various boards as well as the ICC,” Shah had told PTI in an interview.