IPL chairman breaks silence on speculations of Saudi investments in league: 'When you see the kind of numbers...'
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal spoke in detail about the highly-speculated investment from Saudi Arabia in IPL.
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has dismissed speculation regarding Saudi Arabia's potential investment in the Indian Premier League (IPL), stating that no formal proposals have been received from the Gulf nation. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has shown increasing interest in cricket, with state-backed entities like Aramco, Visit Saudi, and Neom entering sponsorship agreements with the IPL and its franchises. Additionally, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) held the IPL mega-auction in Jeddah in November 2024, aiming to encourage cricket development in the region.
“There has been a lot of speculation as to any talk between IPL and BCCI and Saudi Cricket with regard to their interest in IPL. I would want to categorically deny any of that. The idea was to give them a flavour of what IPL is all about. When you see the kind of numbers that happened there with regard to this mega-auction, everybody was startled as to how big this game is,” Dhumal told ESPNCricinfo.
"So it'll give the confidence for the government there to invest more in the cricket infrastructure so that the players out there get more opportunity. We've seen how cricket has grown in UAE over the last few years with the kind of infrastructure they have created. They have started their own league. [Saudi Arabia] will have to create some infrastructure.
Dhumal on ‘Grand Slam’ T20
Dhumal also emphasised that the IPL has not engaged in any formal discussions with Saudi authorities regarding direct investment or the establishment of a 'Grand Slam' T20 circuit.
"It can't be 'yes' or 'no' because there is no proposal to be discussed; it is just media speculation," Dhumal told ESPNcricinfo. "There's nothing that we can do about media speculating."
Reports have suggested that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is exploring the creation of a global T20 league, modelled after tennis Grand Slams, with potential backing from the World Cricketers' Association. However, Dhumal clarified that the IPL is not involved in these plans.
Dhumal reiterated the BCCI's commitment to promoting cricket globally, stating, "Our duty as the BCCI is to go to all these different places and give them the flavour of the sport… Going forward, in case cricket has to grow through the length and breadth of the whole globe, it is paramount that we take it to different landscapes, different territories and showcase what this game is all about. That was the intent."
