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Srinivasan predicts bright future for Twenty20 and IPL

S. Dinakar

— Photo: PTI

CROWD-PULLER: Whether on the field or off it, Chennai Super Kings’s skipper M.S. Dhoni is the centre of attraction. Here he indulges in his passion for biking with teammate Parthiv Patel.

Chennai: N. Srinivasan, vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements Limited, the franchisee of the Chennai Super Kings, predicts a bright future for the Indian Premier League and Twenty20 cricket. The BCCI Treasurer and the TNCA president shared his thoughts with The Hindu in an exclusive interview here on Tuesday.

There has been a lot of talk about the bidding and the astonishing numbers it threw up. Roughly, what is the revenue model for the franchises?

We bid $91 million for the Chennai side. This money is spread over ten years. So we will be paying $9.1 million annually to BCCI. Eighty per cent of money from the IPL media rights will be distributed equally among the franchises annually (the total figure is around $59 million this year).

The franchises are also entitled to 60 per cent revenue (to be split equally) from all the sponsorships for the tournament. Apart from this, each team could have its own sponsor. For instance, the Chennai Super Kings has Aircel. There is also revenue from the team uniform. Then every franchisee is entitled to the entire gate collection from 80 per cent of the tickets that are allowed to be sold.

Will a player be paid his entire signing amount even if he is not available for a few games?

No. The payment to a player is proportionate to the number of matches he is available, from his signing amount.

The franchisee also pays a certain amount to the local association for conducting an IPL match…

Yes, every franchisee has to pay a minimum of Rs. 50 lakh or whatever is the expenditure to the local association for every match.

The BCCI revenue has increased dramatically…

Before 2005, the state associations were getting around Rs. 80 to 90 lakh every year. Now they will be entitled to a substantial revenue from the IPL, it could be around Rs. 7 to 8 crores a year. Apart from this the staging associations receive around Rs. 10 crore every year from the BCCI’s television revenue.

Does the additional revenue translate into increased facilities for the spectators?

There is no squatting in the stadium here now. We have benches in one stand while all the others have chairs. The entire pavilion is air-conditioned. We have done our best to improve the toilets, we are having them cleaned every 10 minutes. But then, we have to deal with large numbers on a match day. The ground and drainage facilities are much better now.

There were whispers that since you were both the Board treasurer and the vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements Ltd, there was a conflict of interests during the bidding process.

There was no advantage. The auction was transparent. There was no conflict of interest. It was a question of who bid the highest. India Cements is a public limited company.

Is it realistically possible to carve a separate window for the IPL from the international calendar?

The Futures Tours Programme is drawn in such a way that it is difficult to see how all the international cricketers could be available for the entire duration of the IPL. There will be players coming in and going out.

Could the IPL tempt cricketers to retire early from international cricket for a career in the Twenty20 leagues?

At the end of the day, every franchisee wants to win. If you sign someone in his mid-30s or close to it, his fitness could be an issue every year. I think what will eventually happen, as in other leagues, is that the teams would scout for young talent, fresh blood. Again, you are what you are because of your achievements in international cricket. If you do well for the country, you could fetch a higher amount at the IPL.

Can the Indian audience make the mental switch from supporting a country to rooting for a club with a strong international cast?

It is happening. You can see it from the crowds. India is maturing as a cricket-loving nation.

Should an IPL eleven be allowed to field more than four overseas players?

We should allow the present system to work. It’s too early to review it.

Your thoughts of the record signing ($1.5 million) of M.S. Dhoni?

He is priceless, as a cricketer, leader and a crowd-puller.

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