Ravi Shastri minces no words as he explains why India deserve every ‘pound of flesh’ from ICC revenue: ‘Look at…’

Amidst demands for greater equity in how cricket at the highest level shares its profits and revenues amongst players, member nations of the ICC, and other stakeholders, former Indian player and coach Ravi Shastri remains bullish about India receiving compensation for being the driver of the cricket economy. India and the BCCI currently earn 38.5% of the ICC's annual revenue model.(BCCI- X)

The recent past has seen a plethora of criticisms regarding how India receive the lion’s share of the revenue generated by the ICC. Following a decision made in 2023, the BCCI has been set to receive 38.5% under the distribution structure, over five times as much as the next-highest band of national boards, those being England, Australia, and Pakistan.

Shastri, however, saw no issue with this, and saw it as the just results given how much the Indian market sustains the cricket economy, via the largest share of the audience as well as cricket’s most profitable tournament in the IPL.

“Absolutely, I would want more. Because most of the money that’s generated comes from India. So it’s only fair that they get their share of pound of flesh,” claimed Shastri in an interview with Wisden. “It’s relative, it’s economies. If tomorrow there might be another economy that’s stronger, money might come from there like it did in the 70s-80s, and the chunk of the money went somewhere else.”

Shastri argues overseas television income dependent on India

India’s dominance over the distribution model has been further criticised as a symptom of the BCCI’s increasing sway on the machinations of the ICC itself: while it is true that India’s media rights and revenue generation dwarfs every other member nation of the ICC, it has also allowed for a greater political foothold in one of the widest-followed global sports.

This has reflected in India’s ability to play the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 on their terms, for example, or push for a larger chunk of the international window to be reallocated for the IPL in coming years.

Regardless, such is the financial boost that India brings to cricket with a potential audience of 1.4 billion people that Shastri believes there is an argument for even greater a share, pointing out how overseas tours often blossom when India are visiting.

“So I think it’s only fair, and it shows in the revenues. When India travel, look at the television rights, look at the television income that comes for an India series. So it’s only fair that they get whatever they’re getting now, if not more,” concluded Shastri.

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