Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), anticipates a rise in Saudi Arabia’s interest in cricket investment, particularly in infrastructure. However, he maintains that the IPL has yet to receive any official proposals concerning a T20 ‘Grand Slam’ circuit or direct investment into the league.
Over recent years, the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF) has strengthened its connections with the IPL. Saudi entities such as Aramco, Visit Saudi, and Neom have inked sponsorship deals with the IPL and its franchises. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also selected Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city, to host the IPL’s mega-auction in November.
Talks purportedly involving the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) suggest a potential global T20 tournament circuit. Despite such discussions, no concrete evidence supports PIF’s direct billion-dollar investment into the IPL.
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Dhumal, also the former treasurer of the BCCI, clarified the situation. He stated, “It can’t be ‘yes’ or ‘no’ because there is no proposal to be discussed; it is just media speculation. There’s nothing that we can do about media speculating.”
Although the SACF is planning an international-standard stadium in Jeddah, the nation lacks substantial cricketing infrastructure. According to Dhumal, the BCCI’s decision to hold the mega-auction in Jeddah aimed to inspire the Saudi regime to invest in cricket. “Saudi Cricket as such is part of ICC,” he remarked. “They’re wanting to make some investments in cricket so that cricket becomes more relevant in that part of the world.”
Addressing rumours of Saudi investments in the IPL, Dhumal categorically denied them. The primary goal was to expose Saudi audiences to the IPL, impressing them with the sport’s scale. “The idea was to give them a flavour of what IPL is all about,” he noted. The auction’s turnout seemed to underscore cricket’s potential, encouraging Saudi Arabia to follow in the UAE’s footsteps, where cricket has flourished due to recent infrastructure development.
“As the BCCI, it’s our responsibility to broaden cricket’s reach worldwide,” Dhumal explained. The intention is to foster cricket’s global growth by introducing it across diverse regions and showcasing its appeal.
