Cricket Branding: The ICC Champion's Trophy and IPL Mantra

In India, cricket isn't merely a sport; what started out as a gentleman's game has turned into a grand festival that brings life to a standstill, transforming ordinary days into celebrations and streets into stadiums.

- CHAITANYA K. PRASAD

As the ICC Champions Trophy unfolds and the IPL season beckons in 2025, the nation once again readies itself for this magnificent carnival of cricket, where every match is a festival within itself, complete with its own rituals, heroes, and fervent devotees. Yet, beneath the dazzling lights and thunderous cheers that mark this seasonal euphoria, a profound metamorphosis has occurred.

From a simple bat-and-ball game into a sophisticated marketing spectacle worth billions, where every boundary, every wicket, and every strategic timeout is tuned not just for sporting glory, but as a precisely calculated branding opportunity. In a country of 1.4 billion people, where cricket flows through the veins of every generation, we find ourselves at a fascinating intersection where tradition meets commerce, and the sacred turf of cricket grounds increasingly resembles a canvas for corporate storytelling.