The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) completed all the procedures of IPL Media Rights 2013-27 yesterday, with Star winning the TV rights and Reliance Group (Viacom 18) winning the digital streaming rights. TV rights went for a whopping Rs. 23,758 crores and digital rights went for Rs. 23,575 crores.

Also Read: IPL Media Rights 2023-27: IPL Media Rights (TV and Digital) sold for ₹47,333 Crores

As per calculations, BCCI will earn a huge amount of Rs. 105.5 crores for just one game. Meanwhile, with this IPL is now the second most valued sporting league in the world in terms of value per match. The current value of "Brand IPL" is Rs. 48,390 crores.

But, you will be amazed to know that how much BCCI will earn per over and per ball of the IPL. According to calculation, BCCI will earn Rs. 49 lakhs per ball and Rs. 2.95 crores from each over of the cash-rich league IPL.

The IPL Media Rights 2023-27 saw huge changes in the last two days. However, Viacom 18 will stream the matches live from next season onwards while Star will stream it on TV as usual. Viacom 18 and Times Internet have won the last package as they will have the rights of the overseas media rights of the IPL 2023-27 season.

Read Also: 'IPL will have an official two-and-a-half-month window from the next ICC FTP calendar': Jay Shah

For years, the Board of Control for Crock in India (BCCI) has navigated various challenges. However a recent coury order is set to have a major financial impact on the sport's governing body.

This ruling revisits a past chapter involving a former IPL team and a long-standing dispute with them. The decision has arrived after a decade of the case, and brings a major setback for BCCI as Bombay HC orders to pay ₹538 crore to defunct IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

Read the full story to know why.

How the BCCI-Kochi Tuskers Kerala dispute began

The root of this major legal battle dates back to 2011, when the BCCI terminated the contract of the IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala. The team, managed by Kochi Cricket Private Limited (KCPL), had only played in one IPL season.

The BCCI claimed they ended the contract because Kochi Tuskers failed to provide a required annual bank guarantee by a deadline in March 2011. This was seen by the BCCI as a serious breach of their agreement.

However, the team owners had a different view. They argued that their delay was due to several issues, including problems with the stadium in Kochi and delays in getting necessary approvals. They also stated that the BCCI continued to deal with them and even accepted payments for months after the March deadline.

The team owners believed this showed the BCCI had waived or overlooked the deadline, making their sudden contract termination unfair.

Taking the matter to arbitration:

Because they felt the termination was wrong, the Kochi Tuskers owners took the matter to arbitration in 2012. An independent tribunal looked at all the facts. In June 2015, this tribunal ruled in favor of Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

The tribunal specifically directed the BCCI to pay ₹384.83 crore to Kochi Cricket Private Limited (KCPL) for lost earnings and ₹153.34 crore to Rendezvous Sports World (RSW) for a wrongfully cashed bank guarantee. These amounts also included interest and legal costs.

Read Also: Anaya Bangar requests BCCI, ICC to revisit their current policies on transgender inclusion in women’s cricket

The Financial Fallout: Why ₹538 crore to be paid now?

The BCCI challenged the 2015 arbitration award in the Bombay High Court, arguing it was unfair and that the damages were too high. However, the recent Bombay HC ruling upheld the original arbitration decision.

This means the BCCI is now legally required to pay a total of over ₹538 crore, including accumulated interest since 2015, to the KTK owners. This represents a major financial loss and a significant legal defeat for the Indian cricket board.

A single social media activity has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world ahead of IPL 2026 auction. A recent 'hint' from Sanju Samson's manager has intensified the possibility of his transfer to Chennai Super Kings from Rajasthan Royals in the next season.

Fans are wondering whether this would come true and change the landscape for both the teams in the future, or is it just another false call.

There's been a mixed bag of positive and upsetting reactions in the past 24 hours, but the real question still stands: Will Sanju Samson join CSK for IPL 2026? Check out how Manager's hint fuels mega transfer rumours.

"Time to Move": Samson's recent viral Instagram post

On June 7, Sanju Samson posted a photo on Instagram that begin the rumors. The image featured him alongside his wife, crossing a prominent yellow line on the road. He captioned the post: "Time to MOVE..!!"

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A post shared by Sanju V Samson (@imsanjusamson)

This visual cue, combined with the caption and the fact that a Tamil song ('Mun Andhi' from 7 Aum Arivu) was also part of the post, immediately sparked discussion. The comments section was quickly flooded with fans linking the "yellow" color and the "move" message to the Chennai Super Kings.

Comments like "He is definitely moving to CSK" and "Welcome to CSK 💛" can be seen all over the post.

Read Also: "Whatever the future brings," Yashasvi Jasiwal's cryptic post after the Royals' end of IPL 2025

Manager's IPL 2026 hint that sparked Sanju Samson transfer rumours

The intense speculation regarding Sanju Samson moving to CSK for IPL 2026 intensified due to a subtle yet impactful social media action by his manager, Prashob Suvedan. He liked a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), which explicitly stated that Samson might be released from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

This gets more interesting as the post also claimed CSK having already approached Samson regarding the move.

Therefore, the timing and nature of his manager's digital interaction ignited widespread speculation and put a layer of possibility about this matter.

Read Also: Value of the IPL Franchises since 2008 to the present

How the cricket fans reacted:

Fans have flooded with opinions and future calculations after the incident. Here's a glimpse of that:

Can’t blame them 😉 https://t.co/XviV2CVSM8 pic.twitter.com/RHsZDNJUZ7

— Sanju Samson Fans Page (@SanjuSamsonFP) June 16, 2025

🚨 Sanju Samson wants to join CSK, CSK wants Sanju Samson. Talks are on but it is not at all this simple.

RR doesn't want to trade Samson with any CSK's player, if Samson wants to join CSK then he will have to do it through auction. But then in Auction there is KKR who gonna… pic.twitter.com/Dy6mpX1Ke2

— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) June 17, 2025

Sanju Samson's manager Prashobh Sudevan has liked a post which says that Sanju Samson will be released by Rajasthan Royals.

This means that Sanju is definitely joining CSK.💛#csk #WhistlePodu #IPL #SanjuSamson #MSDhoni𓃵 pic.twitter.com/VNtAiOzlrs

— kuldeep singh (@kuldeep0745) June 16, 2025

Abishek Porel, the Bengal and Delhi Capitals wicket-keeper, had a decent IPL 2025 with the bat in hand. Just like the 2024 season, he was trusted to bat at the top of the order alongside some of the biggest names in world cricket.

But the season did not turn out the way he would have liked. On most occasions, he got out after getting the start. 

Porel averaged only 25.08, a drop from the 2024 season's 32.70. The main reason for that was him getting out on 30-40 after getting a decent start for his team, Delhi Capitals. And, he knows it hurt his own performance and the team as well. 

That is why Sourav Ganguly wanted the youngster to visit Yuvraj Singh and get some valuable learnings ahead of the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025. 

It was Sourav Ganguly who gave the Bengal wicket-keeper a chance to replace Rishabh Pant in IPL 2023. Porel did his part so well as an impact sub that he went on to play all 14 games for Delhi Capitals next season. Not only that, he was also retained by the franchise ahead of the mega auction.

Yuvraj Singh, one of the greatest white-ball cricketers of Indian cricket, is known for his performances in the 2011 ICC World Cup, where he emerged as the Player of the tournament, despite going through cancer. Not only that, his six sixes in an over in India's victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup are one of the most iconic moments in Indian cricket's history.

Read Also | India's 2011 World Cup winning squad: Where are they now?

After retiring from international cricket, Yuvraj Singh chose not to pursue a career in commentary. Instead, he decided to help young batters excel at the international level. He began working personally with Punjab cricketers such as Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Ramandeep Singh, and several others.

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A post shared by Sportz Point Cricket (@sportzpointcricket)

All of these Punjab batters did exceedingly well after getting trained by Yuvraj. Shubman Gill's career graph went up as he became Indian's latest test captain. Meantime, Abhishek Sharma went on to debut for India T20I format.

After a decent season where Porel feels he could have been better, a session with Yuvraj Singh is what he needed to get everything sorted. The youngster thus went for a camp held by Yuvraj Singh in Delhi, where players like Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, and Prabhsimran Singh were also there.

"Sourav (Ganguly) sir wanted me to visit Yuvraj Singh to learn from one of the greatest batters of Indian cricket. It was all about getting to know how to be ready for the international stage," Porel told Sportz Point in an exclusive interview. 

"We worked on a few basic things, and you know if you stay around a man like Yuvraj Singh, you will get to learn more. I will visit the camp again and will learn more things from him," Porel added. 

Abishek is leading the Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers in the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025. In his state's own league, Porel now wants to rectify all of those mistakes he made in IPL 2025 and work on some individual things while leading the team to success. 

"I would love to get through that 30-40 runs zone and score more runs to help the team. That is the goal. Even Sourav (Ganguly) sir also told me that 30-40s are not enough, and I need to score more and look for hundreds," Porel shared. 

Punjab Kings (PBKS) lost to Royal Challengers Bangaluru (RCB) by 6 runs in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025). With this, PBKS' dream of winning the first title remained unfulfilled. At the same time, PBKS' veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal once again failed to win the trophy.

Also Read: From emerging star to captain fantastic: Shreyas Iyer's IPL journey

So, let's know about those selected players who played 3 IPL finals and their team lost in all of them.

Players who lost all IPL finals

3. Mohit Sharma | 3 IPL Finals

Delhi Capitals' Mohit Sharma is another IPL star to have lost the final thrice. Mohit was part of CSK's squad from 2013-2015, where the five-time winners suffered defeats against Mumbai Indians in both the finals. It is worth noting that Sharma was part of both the finals. 

Mohit's third try to win an IPL trophy was in 2023 with Gujarat Titans against his former team Chennai Super Kings, but suffered a heartbreaking defeat, as he also bowled the last over of the match and conceded 10 runs in the final two balls. 

2. Rahul Tripathi | 3 IPL Finals

Rahul Tripathi is another star to have lost three finals with three different teams. Rahul has played for several IPL franchises in his career and played his first final in 2017 when he represented Rising Pune Supergiants. Tripathi got another shot at the trophy in 2021 with KKR, but lost to Chennai Super Kings. 

The right-hand batter then moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad from KKR and reached the finals in 2024, but suffered a heartbreak against his former team Kolkata Knight Riders. 

1. Yuzvendra Chahal | 3 IPL Finals

Yuzvendra Chahal is yet to win an IPL trophy and the right-arm leg-spinner came close thrice, but fell short on all three occasions. The first time Chahal played an IPL final was in 2016 with RCB, where the defending champions suffered a heartbreak against Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

Also Read: Most successful teams in T20 leagues around the world

Chahal's second exposure to IPL final was in 2022 when he moved to Rajasthan Royals and locked horns against Gujarat Titans. The fate didn't favour Chahal as Gujarat won the trophy in their maiden season. 

The recently concluded IPL final between RCB and PBKS was the third time Chahal tried his luck to win an IPL trophy, but couldn't cross the line as his side fell short by six runs. 

Shreyas Iyer's IPL journey is a compelling story of growth, dedication, and leadership. From stepping into the grand stage as a promising young batsman to eventually shouldering the responsibility of captaincy and winning the trophy, he has finally earned the love and respect he deserved from all the cricket fans.

Explore this journey with us and relive those battles he fought to evolve from an emerging star to captain fantastic!

Iyer's IPL debut and initial impact (2015-2017) | Delhi Capitals

Shreyas Iyer made his IPL debut at the age of 20 years and 6 months in 2015 season. His journey began with a bang when he was acquired by Delhi Capitals for ₹2.6 crore, which made headlines as he became the highest earning uncapped player in the tournament.

His auction bid spotlight on him and he responded with a sensational debut, scoring 439 runs at an average of 33.76 in that season. He also won the IPL emerging player for the season award in 2015.

Iyer became DC's favourite and was retained for seven years in a row.

Read Also: Teams to finish last in IPL Points Table

Youngest captain for DC and early leadership (2018)

The 2018 season was a significant turning point in Shreyas Iyer's IPL journey. At the age of 23 years and 142 days, he was given the captaincy, which made him the youngest captain for DC franchise and the fourth-youngest in any IPL side in history.

Iyer smashed a match-winning knock of 93* runs off 40 balls against KKR in his captaincy debut. In the 8 matches he captained, DC won 4 out of them, showing a 50% winning rate.

Leading from the front: The Delhi Capitals Era (2019-2022)

Iyer continued as a captain, leading the franchise into a new, more successful era from 2019 onwards. He led the team into the playoffs for the first time in seven years, finishing third in the league stage in IPL 2019.

He also had a strong season with the bat, scoring 463 runs.

Read Also: Most wins after 76 games as captain in IPL

Maiden Final appearance: A historic season (2020)

Under his strong leadership, Delhi Capitals reached their maiden IPL final in the history of the tournament in IPL 2020. While the team lost to Mumbai Indians in the finals, Iyer's captaincy was highly praised.

He scored 65* runs off 50 balls in the final match.

Iyer's stats for DC (2015-2021)

Throughout his captaincy tenure (2018-2020), Iyer consistently contributed with the bat. His best season with the bat was in IPL 2020, when he scored 519 runs in 17 matches.

He was succeeded by Rishabh Pant as the captain in IPL 2021 season.

He scored a total of 2375 runs in 87 matches for Delhi Capitals.

A new chapter: KKR and the title glory (2022-2024)

Shreyas Iyer entered the 2022 mega auction and was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹12.25 crore, and was immediately appointed as the new captain.

His first year with KKR concluded with a 7th position finish in the points table, and him scoring 401 runs in 14 matches total.

Missing a season (2023)

Iyer was ruled out entirely of IPL 2023 due to his back injury and Nitish Rana stepped in as the captain for KKR during his absence. He eventually recovered and made a grand comeback in the next season.

The Champion season: Leading KKR to their 3rd IPL title

The 2024 IPL season under Iyer's captaincy was nothing short of a fairy tale for KKR, and they got the ending they deserved. They dominated the game throughout the tournament and finished at the top of the points table.

Things even accelerated in the playoffs, where KKR delivered stunning team performances. They finally clinched the IPL title by defeating SRH by 8 wickets in the Final.

This marked Iyer's first IPL title as a captain.

Read Also: Most IPL Finals: Teams with most final appearances in IPL history

Iyer's stats for KKR (2022-2024)

A record-breaking season with Punjab Kings (2025)

The reigning champion, KKR, made a big decision to not retain Shreyas Iyer ahead he mega auction, which left the fans shocked. However, Punjab Kings acquired him for ₹26.75 crore, making him the second-most expensive player in IPL history.

He was appointed as the captain and consistently proved how he was worth every penny!

Read Also: Suryavanshi touching Dhoni's feet: Here are 10 best moments of IPL 2025

Finishing at the top of the table:

Punjab Kings often struggled for consistency in their earlier seasons, and Shreyas completely changed the narrative for them this year. He started this season for the franchise with a selfless 97*, sacrificing his maiden IPL century, and led the team to 9 wins out of 14 matches.

Under his captaincy, the team not only qualified for the playoffs after 11 years, but also finished at the top of the table in league stage.

Leading PBKS to a historic Final 

After breaking the 11-year drought of qualifying for playoffs, the team also reached their first final since 2014. Shreyas Iyer single-handedly made this possible with his match-winning knock of 87* off 41 balls in the Qualifier 2. He also became the captain with most 50+ scores in IPL playoffs.

Punjab put up an extremely tough fight for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final, ultimately losing by just 6 runs. Iyer's impact was undeniable for PBKS, who made this season a memorable one for them.

He also became the first captain to lead 3 different teams to the IPL Finals (DC in 2020, KKR in 2024, and PBKS in 2025).

Read Also: Most 50+ scores as a captain in IPL playoffs

Iyer's stats for PBKS (2025)

Shreyas Iyer was the highest-scorer for PBKS in 2025 and finished 6th in the Orange Cap leaderboard. He also smashed 39 sixes in this season, which overall the second-highest.