'Women's cricket teams will be worth billions of dollars in 15 years', says former IPL Chairman Lalit Modi

Former IPL Chairman Lalit Modi has made a bold prediction about the future of women's cricket, predicting that women's franchise teams could achieve billion-dollar valuations within the next 15 years. Speaking to ANI, Modi highlighted the rapid growth of women's cricket, particularly through the Women's Premier League (WPL), and said the sport is on course to become one of the world's most valuable sporting properties. "It is also going to go to another level. Amazingly, Indian cricket is going to get better. Women's cricket, the crowds are filling up."

Drawing comparisons with the early days of the IPL, he added, “What the men's IPL was 20 years ago, women's cricket has reached that level already. Mr. Adani paid ₹1,600 crore for a women's team (Gujarat Giants). Conversely, we only got around $100 million or ₹400 crore in season one of the men's IPL for the Mumbai Indians. So on its very debut, women's cricket hit ₹1,600 crore.” Modi said that while women's cricket still has a long journey ahead, its commercial growth trajectory is significantly faster than that of the men's IPL during its formative years.

"Women's cricket is going to go to another level," Lalit Modi said. “What the men's IPL was 20 years ago, women's cricket has reached that level already. Mr Adani paid ₹1,600 crore for a women's team (Gujarat Giants). Conversely, we only got around $100 million or ₹400 crore in season one of the men's IPL for the Mumbai Indians. So on its very debut, women's cricket hit ₹1,600 crore.” According to Modi, it may take another 15 to 20 years for women's cricket to fully realise its global viewership potential. However, he believes it will eventually surpass many established sports leagues worldwide.

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“You will see, unlike any other sporting league in the world, in any sport, that women's cricket will become number two in the world, and after IPL, men's cricket. And in terms of viewership, you will see that women's cricket will also, but it will take, I will tell you, take another 20 years. Okay, it has taken 18 years for the IPL to reach where it is today, with a $2 billion team. And women's cricket has just begun, but 15 years from now, Women's cricket will also be worth billions of dollars for each team. But it will be great for the game.” The growth of the WPL and India's recent success in women's cricket have further strengthened confidence in the future of the women's game.

Reflecting on his tenure as BCCI Vice President in 2006, Modi recalled his role in integrating women's cricket into the national governing structure. "I was the one who introduced women to the constitution and the BCCI," Lalit Modi said. "We started to achieve that in my time alone when we started having women coming and women's cricket starting out there... I did not think the IPL ecosystem would be ready for a women's league for 10 or 12 years, but they have done it now, and they have achieved it."

Modi also revisited his concerns regarding the financial sustainability of international cricket outside India. He reiterated his proposal to phase out bilateral ODIs and explore franchise-based Test cricket models to support struggling cricket boards. "I am saying that test matches in bilateral series will die. One Day should die. The test should survive. The test is a very important part. Unfortunately, it will die if it is not taken over by club cricket because there is no viewership on a global level. So it will be a loss leader. I am not saying everything has to make money. So you can...develop players for the T20. You do not have to have profit in everything. You have got to do something for the game too. So, as far as the BCCI is concerned, it is a non-profit organisation. But every other country has to make some money. If they do not make money, cricket will die. Sri Lankan cricket is crying. Pakistan is crying. They have no money. Bangladesh is crying. They have no money. If India does not go to New Zealand, they die. If you do not go to the West Indies, they die. If you do not go to South Africa, they die," he concluded.