Saudi Arabia eyes big stake in IPL: Report

Saudi Arabia has expressed an interest in buying a multibillion-dollar stake in the Indian Premier League (IPL), according to a Bloomberg report. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's advisers have reportedly spoken to Indian government officials about moving the IPL into a holding company valued at as much as $30 billion.

Saudi Arabia has also proposed investing as much as $5 billion into the league and help lead an expansion into other countries. These talks were held when the crown prince visited India in September, the report said.

It must be noted that a number of middle eastern brands have forged partnerships with Indian cricket in the recent past. Saudi Aramco and Saudi Tourism Authority had partnerships with BCCI in the last IPL meanwhile, Qatar Airways came on board as front-of-shirt sponsors for the RCB.