As per a recent report, Saudi Arabia is interested in investing in the Indian Premier League. Recently, Saudi showed interest in football and they managed to lure stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. Hence, IPL and cricket would grow if the Arabs invested in the tournament. Further, a lot of changes might happen in the tournament if more investment comes in. Here, we take a look at three major changes that could happen if Saudi Arabia invests in IPL.
1) Expansion of the league
At the moment, IPL has 10 teams. Surely, if more investment would come in, the agenda might be there to increase the number of teams. Of course, the IPL will have to have a longer calendar if more teams come in.
Interestingly, it would not be a bad idea to have one overseas team, as well. For instance, in the English Premier League, there are teams from Wales, at times. IPL can also explore this idea.
2) Compulsory hosting of some matches in the UAE
The IPL compulsorily hosting a few games in the IPL is one of the major changes that could happen if Saudi Arabia invests in IPL. If the Arabs invested in the IPL, they would want a piece of the cake, too.
IPL has happened successfully in IPL before. The facilities are available and hence, this would be an easier thing to achieve.
3) A new second-division IPL league
For the longevity of the tournament, having a second division could be interesting. While more talent would meet opportunity, there is more context for all the franchises involved.
Of course, a few changes have to be made from the traditional tier system because there are some popular franchises that need to play in every edition. Nevertheless, including a second-division league will make the tournament more exciting.
