Sorry EPL fans, IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders are growing faster than Manchester United

Cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) added another feather to it's hat by becoming the biggest brand ever in cricket history.

In 2015, the valuation appraisal firm Duff & Phelps estimated the IPL brand to be worth $4.5 billion (Rs 27,000 Crores). In the annual BCCI report, the Broadcast Audience Research Council of India stated that the total TV viewership of IPL 2016 calculated by impressions stood at 102 Crores.

A report by management consultancy firm KPMG puts the total impact of IPL 2015 on the Indian economy at Rs 1,150 Crores, more than 0.6 per cent of the country’s GDP.

If this wasn't enough, the annual evaluation also revealed that IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) which are co-owned by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan registered a 300% growth last year, close to 100% ahead of English Premier League giants Manchester United – which grew 204% in 2015-16. 

There's no doubt that IPL has already established itself as the most successful cricket league, now it is to be seen whether it can trump other sports leagues of the world or not.