In the 2024 Paris Olympics, India, with a population of 1.3 billion, did not win a single gold medal, truly making it a weak sports nation. However, in India, a country lacking in sports genes, there is one sport that stands out and even surpasses the brand value of the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, only second to America's NFL.

Indian Premier League

So, what kind of sport is this?

Cricket is a sport primarily involving batting, bowling, and catching, and is the precursor to baseball and softball. The sport of cricket originated in 13th century England, initially as a noble sport, termed as the "sport of kings" by King Henry VIII of England.

This sport, originating from England, had nothing to do with India initially, but due to colonial expansion, over a hundred years ago, the British brought the sport of cricket to the South Asian subcontinent.

Cricket Sport

Perhaps attracted by the "noble" label associated with cricket, Indians have a special fondness for the sport, even to the point of fanaticism. An impressive statistic: out of India's 1.3 billion population, about 800 million people play cricket at least four times a year.

The huge fan base quickly allowed Indian businessmen to smell the opportunity. They thought, since cricket is so popular in India, why not organize a cricket super league?

Thus, in 2007, at a gathering of the wealthy in the suburbs of London, several Indian business tycoons held a historic business meeting. In this meeting, they decided to model after America's NBA, NFL, and other super leagues to organize their own Indian cricket super league. The specific plan was: to reduce India's existing 26 cricket teams to 8, auction the newly established 8 teams to the highest bidder; shorten each match to 3 hours to make it more exciting for viewers; have the 8 teams compete against each other, with the winners of these matches competing further until the final championship; held annually.

The 8 teams are Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab, and Rajasthan Royals.

Indian Premier League

In January 2008, the Indian Premier League began by publicly auctioning the 8 teams. India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, bought the Mumbai Indians, while India's cement tycoon Srinivasan, media mogul Murdoch's son Lachlan, and Bollywood superstar Preity Zinta also purchased shares in the teams. In total, the 8 teams sold for $724 million.

A few months later, the first Indian Premier League (IPL) officially kicked off. The final of the first IPL attracted over 60,000 fans to the venue, with about 3 billion TV viewers worldwide watching the match. Indian businessmen also made a fortune, with the national average TV rating for the first IPL reaching 11%, and tickets sold out early, with TV broadcasting, advertising sponsorships, and other revenues exceeding $120 million.

Many Indians in interviews expressed that they would rather cut down on movie-going or dining out to watch IPL matches on TV.

In 2010, the sports brand ranking published by "SportsPro" magazine valued the Indian Premier League at $4.1 billion, surpassing the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, only second to America's NFL (National Football League). "Forbes" magazine even listed the IPL as the hottest league globally.In 2011, IPL players' average salary ranked second among global leagues, with an annual salary of $2.5 million, only second to the NBA.

In 2012, Indian cricket player Mahendra Singh Dhoni's annual income reached $26.5 million, making him the highest-earning athlete in India and ranking 31st among global sports stars. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also selected by "Time" magazine as one of the 100 most influential people globally in 2011.

Today, the Indian Premier League has become the most-watched cricket match globally, one of the top sporting events in the world.