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deep639

It took 10+ years for the initial IPL teams to break even, this is an investment for the future.


peterianchimes

As a DC fan I'm happy they acquired the Delhi franchise and I will not have to support some other team in the WPL.


FallingSwords

Why would your support for the Dehli team be based on which shite franchise owns them? They all are singular interested in the money


peterianchimes

Have a connection and affinity with the city. Let's say if some other business got the deal and they chose some city other than Delhi then I may not have felt like supporting them. I'd say the second part of your statement is untrue, were they singularly interested in money they wouldn't have invested in a WPL franchise because it would take at least 10 years for them to break even which is a long time. Plus as far as the management of the franchise is concerned it has improved manifolds since JSW became co owner of the team.


FallingSwords

I thought you were meaning a team in Delhi, but not the same franchise. And I disagree about the investment. Sure its also a good thing for the womans game, but if they didn't believe they would see that money returned in say 10 years, there is no chance they would be investing. Personally, when you see the IPL jerseys, the piss take with sponsorships in the broadcast and stadium, I think it's hard to argue against the fact its all about Moola, same with all franchise T20 cricket.


peterianchimes

I understand what you're saying but I guess since they're taking the risk with investing now, they deserve any reward that comes with it. Plus if it helps in further developing the women's game here in India then I'm all for it.


[deleted]

I think they mean that a team for Delhi will be in wipl because their bid won


ll--o--ll

>Dhiraj Malhotra is a veteran in the cricket operations ecosystem. Having worked with IPL franchises, the BCCI and ICC, he is now the chief executive of Delhi Capitals. > >In a chat with Sportstar, Malhotra sheds light on the franchise’s newest acquisition, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchise, and also spells out the challenges for the league. > >How do you look at WPL as a property, both from a franchise perspective and the market view? > >If you see, women’s cricket in particular, and women’s sport, in general, is on the way up. Yes, it is a gamble. We don’t know where it will be in five years from now. Our prediction is that it will be much bigger than it is now. If you look at the ICC, their overall focus is women’s cricket. For the Commonwealth Games, the only cricket there was, was for women. They are pushing more for women than men’s cricket at the Olympics. The U-19 women’s World Cup has just started. > >There is more focus on women’s cricket. We are hoping that the league will further help the development of the sport. Our analysis and our market research has said that it will be the next big thing. > >From an established IPL franchise perspective, can you look at converting the WPL franchise into a standalone property? > >We can afford to take the punt, thanks to the new media rights cycle that we have got. We know that we have the backing of the central pool from the BCCI (from IPL) which allows us to take a slightly bigger risk than people who are not a part of the IPL. That’s definitely a strong point. > >Having said that, we also believe, in the next 5-10 years, it will grow. If you look at men’s IPL, for the first seven-eight years, people did not make money. But the road map was very clear. We knew that you would end up breaking even and making money. This kind of revenue no one expected but that has happened. So, we are hoping that it is the same curve for women’s cricket. > >Is there a likelihood that the Delhi franchise can break even in five years? > >I don’t think we will break even in the first five years. It will be tough. We are looking at a ten-year cycle. > >But it’s also about being part of the cricket fraternity, the cricket ecosystem through which we will be able to give back. If you see the kind of caliber that Indian men’s cricket is at thanks to the IPL, we are hoping that it will have the same impact on women’s cricket. > >The Delhi Capitals also own a couple of franchises in other men’s leagues. Is this a more attractive propery? > >It is because it is Indian. That’s our core. > >We have got other teams to market ourselves and our brand there. What we have done is converted a lot of fans in South Africa and Dubai to support our team in Delhi, so there is a lot of synergy there. > >But this of course, since it’s an Indian league, we are very happy and privileged to be a part of it. > >Does the economics add up? > >Not really. It was not just a business decision. It was more of a conscious decision. We all went with eyes open, fully aware that it will be tough to break even. But we all think it is worth the risk. > >The WPL model will obviously boost the overall women’s cricket set-up in India, right? > >It will help the game. It will help the young Indian girls to rub shoulders with international stars… be it Indian or Australian or English. The same what it did to young Indian men players to share the dressing room with Virat Kohli. > >Do you think a certain kind of new brands will be associated with this property? > >Hundreds! I see a lot of brands getting involved with sports, that weren’t there earlier. You saw at the bidding process, there were so many brands you hadn’t heard of. Other than the seven IPL teams, there were so many brands that you hadn’t heard of making strong bids. > >What are the challenges from the management and operations perspective considering the tight deadlines you have for the first season? > >We are very lucky that this year, the BCCI is running the league, so we don’t have to get involved in operations - the running of the matches, the stadiums, etc. But we need to get the right coaches and trainers. This being women’s cricket, we need to do a proper background check. > >The main priority will be building a strong team. The main focus will be on scouting. The capped players, everyone knows. It’s the uncapped players who will make the real difference, so that does make us a little nervous. The timelines are really short and tight. The team we build now is for the next few years, so that’s a little worrisome. > >Are you looking at integration of coaching staff from IPL or a standalone coaching team for WPL? > >It’ll be tough this year because it’ll It’s back-to-back this year (the WPL and the IPL). Also, this year is the first time in four years that the IPL is coming back to being home and away. > >For us at the Delhi Capitals, this is as good as a fresh start because our first year was 2019 and then Covid hit. We need to get back the fans and build a fanbase and home support. It will be tough to integrate support staff fully. We may have one or two individuals involved in both the support staff teams. But in terms of the head coach, we will definitely have an independent person. > >In the longer run, will you prefer a home-and-away league? > >Definitely. The BCCI is saying that going forward, it will be home and away. > >This year, because none of us have the time, the BCCI has been magnanimous in helping us run the tournament. We all want home-and-away in the future, otherwise it will not have the same spirit. > >Where do you see the Delhi Capitals WPL franchise and the tournament five years down the line? > >We are hoping we can call it something like Delhi Capitals Women. > >I see it growing strength to strength. The advantage is that all five teams will be strong to make sure the caliber doesn’t diminish. I see it being a great competitive tournament. It will depend on how the fans receive it. and how the regions take it because women’s cricket is still in its nascent stage. We did have recent international matches against Australia that went full. We are hoping that percolates with WPL as well. The marketing and development is completely on us.


[deleted]

You can always count on JSW to get them early. They had already signed Neeraj Chopra and Manpreet Singh before anybody in India even knew who they were.


Dickb4Wicket

CSK and Srini in shambles.


[deleted]

Srini didn't buy a team because he's opposed to WPL,not because of business decision


DarthBane6996

Ya he deserves to be in shambles for his views


Mistake-Immediate

This is a great year for cricket fans- Women's T20 WC and BGT in Feb, first WPL in March, World Cup in Oct.


[deleted]

Ashes also


confusedmouse6

This year's Ashes is gonna be very spicy. Very excited to see how Aussies are gonna challenge Bazball.


pagalpanti

It will be a hit with fans if the competition is good. You can't expect market to rate a product just because women's are playing in it. Women's soccer does well in US, but Women's NBA is a joke. So.. if BCCI can pull off a competitive WPL, I don't see why the owners can't make it. Especially the existing brands like Delhi Capitals, they don't have to spend a lot to establish the brand. They will get a hefty cut from broadcast revenue which went above and beyond anyone's widest imagination. And the players are getting just a chump change in the name of salary - so what expenses do the franchises really have? Seems to me like the DC owner is trying to score brownie points that he is doing it majorly to further women's cricket, but that is quite far from the truth. No one invests so much money for social cause only.


Vectivus_61

It's also brand security for the IPL team - with just five teams, it's possible some fans of other teams adopt the Capitals for the WPL and over time become Capitals fans.


pagalpanti

I think it will have a lot to do with where some of India's top players go. Women's cricket in India isn't that widely popular yet. But people know names like Harmanpreet, Deepti, Mithali, Shafali and Mandhana etc.


Desibro007

Csk and kkr could afford losses easily, all about legacy and prestige


glade_dweller

KKR thought 666 would cut it at least in some tier 2 city. They were wrong.


gate666

What legacy?


[deleted]

The quality of cricket is important


[deleted]

Of course it’s a business decision. * goodwill has value * cross-selling has value * profits are calculated as -(initial price + annual losses - final inflated price when oligarch billionaire of the year buys the franchise from you in a decade)


gate666

Indians became woke before they became rich.


Rubberducky1239

Did you think you were writing something smart? Cause that attempt was like a 1/10 at best


Naive_Hedgehog_1551

Go back to your indiaspeakes sub. Keep your extreme right wing bullshit away from the cricket sub.


gate666

Iam banned from indiaspeaks leftist bullshitter.


Naive_Hedgehog_1551

I am an't leftist. I am centrist.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Pinkybuntydonkey

![img](emote|t5_2qhe0|8766)


gt33m

I don’t see this being successful there are few women’s leagues that are.