The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in India contested during March or April and May of every year by eight teams representing eight different cities or states in India. The league was founded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2007.
The IPL is the most-attended cricket league in the world and in 2014 was ranked sixth by average attendance among all sports leagues. In 2010, the IPL became the first sporting event in the world to be broadcast live on YouTube. The brand value of the IPL in 2019 was US$6.3 billion, according to Duff & Phelps.
There are currently eight teams that compete in the IPL: Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Each team plays the other twice in a home-and-away round-robin format in the league phase.
The IPL has helped to develop and promote local Indian cricket talent, with many young players getting the opportunity to play alongside international stars. The league has also contributed significantly to the Indian economy and has become a major entertainment product in the country. |