MS Dhoni’s CSK, Virat Kohli’s RCB most valued franchises in IPL: Report

The Indian Premier League, the world’s richest T20 cricket league, has been growing massively with each successive year.

The ten franchises taking part in IPL generate revenues in crores of rupees, resulting in a rise in their brand value.

But what is the reason behind the franchises’ high-value and who is the biggest of them all?

A report by an investment firm Houlihan Lokey evaluated the brand value of the 10 IPL franchises, with MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings topping the list.

The IPL 2023 winners are valued at a whopping $212 million, a 45.2% rise from their 2022 valuation of $146 million.

Following Dhoni’s men on the charts were the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Bengaluru-based franchise’s star attraction is Indian superstar Virat Kohli.

Kohli’s appeal draws the brands and the fans alike to RCB, with the team being valued at $195 million. RCB’s 2023 evaluation is a sharp increase of 52.3% from last year’s $128 million.

Five-time winners Mumbai Indians are placed third on the list with a brand value of $190 million. The Rohit Sharma-led team was valued at $141 million last year, 34.8% less than what they are worth now.

The fourth-most valued franchise is Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders.

The report valued the two-time champions at $181 million, a nearly 50% rise from their last year’s evaluation of $122 million.

Explaining its valuation methodology, the report said that it considered the income and cash-generating capability of the IPL on a stand-alone basis.

Overall, the Houlihan Lokey report valued the Indian Premier League at a whopping US$15.4 billion.