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Former England captain Andrew Strauss was all praise for India’s domestic T20 league, the Indian Premier League as he delivered the annual Cowdrey lecture at Lord’s. Strauss claimed that IPL will become the world’s biggest domestic sporting event in the coming years and might also pip the National Football League (NFL). Strauss also emphasized that franchise cricket is a great step forward.
Strauss said that as India’s economy is rapidly growing and is expected to be of the size of the United States, IPL too will grow to become massive.
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"As the Indian economy grows, it is expected that by the time it reaches parity with the size of the USA in 2040, the value of the IPL is likely to be six times what it is today - this is going to be the biggest domestic sporting tournament in the world, bar none," Strauss said while giving the Cowdrey lecture at Lord's.
"If you allow yourself to keep bound up in the thesis that the purpose of the game is to bring diverse people together, whether playing or watching, and to allow cricket to educate and connect, then surely the rise of franchise cricket is one of the great steps forward,” added Strauss.
The former England captain also commented on the record-breaking sum the Board of Control for Cricket in India fetched from the Women’s Premier League franchise bidding. Strauss said that this only points towards the fact that Women’s cricket is also on the rise and leagues like the Women’s Premier League will further accelerate this growth.
"The first IPL franchises have just been sold for an earth-shattering sum of £465 million ($572.5 million)," the 45-year-old former opener added.
"Women's cricket is truly standing on its own two feet and is likely to be in the top three sports for earning potential for any young girl with talent and an ambition to play sport professionally."
