5 Indian players who can buy a team in other T20 leagues with their IPL 2023 salaries
T20 leagues have witnessed tremendous growth around the world since the birth of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) launched the IPL in 2008, with eight city-based franchises competing against each other to win the prestigious championship.
Business tycoons, Bollywood actors and other famous personalities spent hefty amounts to buy IPL franchises in 2008. Over the years, the brand value of IPL teams has increased significantly, and now each franchise is worth hundreds of crores of rupees.
In late 2021, the BCCI sold two new franchises and earned a staggering ₹12,715 crore. The brand value of IPL teams remains unmatched. Interestingly, the salaries of some players in the IPL are way more than the value of some franchises in other T20 leagues.
For example, the Quetta franchise in Pakistan Super League was sold for $11 million for a 10-year period. The figure comes down to $1.1 million per year, which is less than the IPL salaries of several top stars.
Former Barbados Tridents owner Vijay Mallya revealed in 2016 that the cost of running a franchise in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is approximately $2 million. Even the teams in Lanka Premier League have a valuation of between $2 to 4 million.
Big Bash League (BBL) and The Hundred teams are centrally owned by Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board, respectively, but the total salary cap is almost equivalent to the IPL salaries of some players.
The selling price of teams in the UAE's ILT20 and SA20 is not known, but assuming that around USD 1.5 to 2 million (₹12.41 crore to ₹16.55 crore) is needed for a team for one year in overseas leagues, here's a list of five Indian players who can do so with their IPL 2023 salaries alone.
#1 Virat Kohli
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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) retained Virat Kohli for ₹15 crore ahead of the IPL 2023 Auction. Kohli is one of the highest-paid cricketers in the league's history, having earned ₹173.2 crore from the tournament thus far.
Kohli's earnings off the cricket field are sky-high as well. He can buy multiple teams in overseas T20 leagues.
#2 KL Rahul
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul is the highest-paid Indian cricketer in IPL 2023. The Lucknow-based franchise have retained him for ₹17 crore.
Rahul was the highest-paid cricketer in IPL 2022, but Sam Curran and Cameron Green will receive higher salaries than him in the 2023 season.
#3 Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja was the No.1 retention made by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last season. CSK paid ₹16 crore to him for his services in IPL 2022 and retained him for the same salary in 2023.
Initially, Jadeja was rumored to be a part of the auction pool. One can only imagine how much money he would have earned had he been in the IPL 2023 auction.
#4 Rishabh Pant
Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Rishabh Pant was also retained for ₹16 crore ahead of the IPL 2022 auction. Pant's salary has skyrocketed quicker than other players, considering that he only made his IPL debut in 2016.
If Pant wishes to invest in overseas T20 leagues, he can easily buy a team with his IPL salary.
#5 Rohit Sharma
Like Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma has a contract worth ₹16 crore. His all-time IPL earnings are ₹178.6 crore.
If Sharma decides to use his all-time IPL earnings, he can even launch his own T20 league featuring four to five teams.