BCCI treasurer Arun Dhamal has vented his frustrations over the IPL being repeatedly dubbed as ‘money making machine’ because of the hefty amount of money that goes into the making of the yearly tournament a great success.
The popularity of the franchise-based T20 extravaganza, since its inception in 2008, has grown by leaps and bounds, forming a substantial part of BCCI yearly revenue and also giving financial stability to gazillions of domestic players.
“This whole talk that IPL is a money-making machine, so be it. Who takes that money? That money goes to the players, that money doesn’t go to any office bearers. That money goes to the welfare of the nation, the travel and tourism industry, in terms of industries being revived, in terms of taxes being paid,” Dhumal told Cricbuzz.
He further explained that the revenue generated is not filling the pocket of any particular person or institute; instead, it goes into the noble act of nation-building.
“So why opposition for the money? Money is paid to the players and all those people who are there to organise the tournament. Media has to change the stance and tell about the benefit of this tournament that is happening. If BCCI is paying thousands of crores in taxes, it is going in nation-building, it is not going to Mr. Sourav Ganguly or Mr. Jay Shah or myself. Right? So you should be happy if money is being made rather than money being spent on sports.”
Dhumal further talked about safety being the prime concern for the BCCI. “The only statement of the BCCI is that we will explore the possibility and safety of our players will be the prime concern. If it is safe for our players to go, only then we will go. We have never said that we can compromise on the safety and health of our players. The IPL will only happen if it is safe to play,” he added.
The 13th edition of the highly coveted league remains suspended for an indefinite period as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the bludgeoning rate at which the people in the country are contracting the virus, the future of the league looks bleak.
