Zee Entertainment Enterprises funded the establishment of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007. The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not recognise the ICL, and the BCCI was dissatisfied with its committee members joining the ICL executive board. To discourage players from joining the ICL, the BCCI boosted prize money in their own domestic competitions and issued lifetime bans on players who joined the ICL, which the board considered a renegade league.
Foundation
The IPL has been designed to entice an entire new generation of sports fans into the grounds throughout the country. The dynamic Twenty20 format has been designed to attract a young fan base, which also includes women and children.
Following India’s triumph in the 2007 T20 World Cup, the BCCI launched the Indian Premier League, a franchise-based Twenty20 cricket league, on September 13, 2007. The first season was set to premiere in April 2008 in New Delhi, with a “high-profile ceremony.” Lalit Modi, BCCI vice-president who spearheaded the IPL campaign, detailed the tournament’s concept, prize money, franchise revenue scheme, and team composition restrictions. It was also disclosed that the IPL will be overseen by a seven-member governing council of of former India players and BCCI executives, and that the top two clubs in the IPL would qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 that year.
