Each international cricket team in the world has a governing body, also known as a cricket board. Some of the most popular cricket boards in the world are the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), England Cricket Board (ECB), Cricket Australia (CA), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) among others.
But when it comes to the wealthiest cricket board in the world, it’s the BCCI hands down. No other cricket board in the world boasts of even half the wealth possessed by the BCCI, and that is largely because of the craze for cricket in India. More the craze, more the viewership, more the money earned from media and television rights.
The Indian Cricket Team has constantly reached new heights over the years. The craze for cricket in India drastically increased after the country won its first ever World Cup in 1983. Over the years, India has become a cricketing powerhouse, both as a team as well as a cricket board.
History of the BCCI
Cricket in India began with European sailors in the 18th century. The first significant step towards organizing cricket was the formation of the Calcutta Cricket Club in 1792. In 1912, an Indian team, sponsored by the Maharaja of Patiala, toured England. The pivotal moment came in 1927 when a meeting in Delhi led to the creation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in December 1928, with R. E. Grant Govan as the first president and Anthony de Mello as secretary.
The BCCI joined the Imperial Cricket Council (now known as the ICC) in 1926 and launched the Ranji Trophy in 1936. India played its first Test match in 1932 and won its first Test series abroad in 1967-68. The board played a crucial role in organizing the 1987 and 1996 World Cups. The formation of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2007 marked a significant commercial success. In 2014, BCCI, along with Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board, formed the “Big Three,” reshaping global cricket governance. The BCCI continues to be a major force in international cricket, organizing multiple ICC events.
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BCCI Net Worth and Sources of Income
According to multiple sources online, the huge net worth of the BCCI is estimated to be 2.25 billion dollars. BCCI net worth in rupees translates to Rs 18,000 crore. In the financial year 2019-2020, the BCCI’s total income was estimated to exceed Rs 3,730 crore. This included Rs 2,500 crore generated from the IPL, Rs 950 crore from bilateral series with other countries, and Rs 380 crore over eight years from its share of ICC revenue. In the financial years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, the BCCI’s earnings were Rs 4,542 crore and Rs 6,558 crore, respectively.
So how does the board have such a lot of wealth? Here’s how the BCCI earns revenue.
ICC Income Share
No cricket board receives as much income share from the ICC as the BCCI does. In 2020, under the current eight-year Future Tours Program (FTP), India received US$405 million from the ICC, compared to US$139 million for the England and Wales Cricket Board. Other boards, such as Cricket Australia, Cricket South Africa, and Pakistan Cricket Board among others each received US$128 million, while Zimbabwe Cricket received US$94 million. For the financial years 2023-2027, the ICC will allocate 38.5% of its annual revenue to the BCCI.
Media Rights
Given the craze for cricket in India, the viewership of the cricket matches is always massive. This in turn leads to huge income for BCCI through media rights.
In August 2023, Viacom18 acquired the media rights for all bilateral matches involving India’s national men’s and women’s cricket teams within India. This deal also includes the rights to air all domestic tournaments, such as the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, Irani Cup, and Duleep Trophy. The deal, worth Rs 5,963 crore, spans from September 2023 to March 2028.
Earlier, on 16 January 2023, the BCCI sold the Women’s Premier League’s media rights to Viacom18 for Rs 951 crore for the period from 2023 to 2027.
Further Read: Who is the BCCI President
Indian Premier League
The IPL is one of the richest and most popular cricket leagues globally. Launched in 2008 by the BCCI, it features 10 franchise teams representing Indian cities. The league generates enormous revenue, primarily through media rights.
From 2018 to 2022, IPL global rights were awarded to Star India for Rs 16,347.5 crore. In 2022, the BCCI sold IPL media rights for an impressive Rs 48,390 crore, with television rights going to Disney for Rs 23,575 crore and digital rights to Viacom18 for Rs 20,500 crore. This deal covers 410 matches from 2023 to 2027. It is thus unsurprising that the BCCI net worth 2024 is massive.
Sponsorship Rights
BCCI also earns a huge sum of money from sponsorship rights. Viacom18’s Sports18 TV channel and OTT platform JioCinema are the official broadcasters for the BCCI from 2023 to 2027.
Adidas is the kit sponsor since June 2023, paying a whopping Rs 75 lakh per match, and from September 2023, IDFC First Bank is the title sponsor for all bilateral series in India and domestic tournaments, excluding the IPL and Women’s Premier League, which are sponsored by TATA for the 2022-23 season. IDCI bank is paying the BCCI a massive Rs 4.2 crore per match. Dream 11 is also one of the official partners of the BCCI. For a deal of three years, Dream11 has paid BCCI a sum of Rs 358 crore.
Meanwhile, the board also earns money from ticketing rights. The BCCI each year sells IPL ticket-selling rights to Book My Show. Paytm Insider app frequently sells tickets for bilateral series.
BCCI’s Massive Central Contracts
Given that the BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world, it is hardly surprising that it’s centrally contracted players are paid a huge sum of money.
The BCCI central contracts classify Indian cricketers into four grades, each with a specific annual salary. Grade A+ players, the top tier, receive Rs 7 crore annually and include cricketers who consistently perform at the highest level across formats. Grade A players earn Rs 5 crore per year. Grade B offers an annual salary of Rs 3 crore while Grade C players receive Rs 1 crore annually, including emerging talents or those contributing in specific formats.
Female players who are in A grade receive Rs 50 lakh a year, those in B grade get Rs 30 lakh a year and C grade players receive Rs 10 lakh a year. IPL, meanwhile, is the best paid cricket league in the world. It offers a massive prize money of Rs 20 crore to the winning team.
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Pension for Former Cricketers
The BCCI provides pensions to former domestic and international players who represented India. Since 31 December 1993, players with more than 25 Test matches receive Rs 50,000 monthly. Ranji Trophy players from before the 1957-58 season receive Rs 15,000 monthly.
In 2013, the BCCI awarded one-time benefits to domestic players with over 75 first-class matches. Female cricketers who played 10 or more Tests receive Rs 22,500 monthly, while those with five to nine Tests receive Rs 15,000 monthly. These pensions are possible because of the BCCI board net worth which is in thousands of crores.
FAQs about BCCI Total Net Worth
Q) What is BCCI total net worth?
A) The BCCI’s total net worth is estimated to be around $2.25 billion, which translates to approximately Rs 18,000 crore.
Q) How much annual salary do India’s centrally contracted players receive?
A) India’s centrally contracted players are classified into four grades. Grade A+ players receive Rs 7 crore annually, Grade A players earn Rs 5 crore, Grade B players get Rs 3 crore, and Grade C players receive Rs 1 crore annually.
Q) How much do Indian women cricketers get as an annual salary?
A) Indian women cricketers’ annual salaries are categorized into three grades. Grade A players receive Rs 50 lakh, Grade B players earn Rs 30 lakh, and Grade C players receive Rs 10 lakh annually.
