How Self-Respect, Determination Brought Cricket World Cup to India In 1987 & Why It Was Renamed As Reliance Cup?

The article talks about how then BCCI president NKP Salve's self-respect brought the 1987 Cricket World Cup to India and why named as Reliance Cup.

Hyderabad: The Indian cricket team scripted history by reaching the final of the 1983 Cricket World Cup which was eventually won by the Kapil Dev-led side in Lords, England, an incident took place in the home country that was going to change the future of the sport. NKP Salve, then the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), had requested a few extra passes for his fellow officials to watch the all-important final where the Indian cricket team was going stunned the world beating the mighty West Indies side-led by Sir Vivian Richards. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) refused NKP Salve's request and left him fuming as BCCI president did not forget the insult.

Salve realized that cricket’s power was concentrated in England and other countries like Australia or New Zealand which had little say in the game’s administration. Determined to change this, he saw an opportunity—why should the World Cup be played in England every time? Why couldn’t India, a rising force in cricket and reigning champions, host it?

A Bold Plan Takes Shape

Salve exchanged his thoughts and full-proof plan with then Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Nur Khan, who immediately displayed his support for the idea. The two nations, who were rising countries in cricket, came together with a proposal to host the next World Cup i.e. 1987 ODI Cricket World Cup to the subcontinent. However, convincing the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its committee whose members were majorly from England was not going to be a very tough task.

Since its inception in 1975, which means all three ICC tournaments including the 1975, 1979 and 1983 World Cup were hosted by England, mainly because no other country had the financial strength or infrastructure to organize such mega event. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was confident that no one could challenge their authority.

But Salve did. he along with BCCI administrators like Jagmohan Dalmiya and IS Bindra, had a strategy. They understood that money could be a powerful tool in winning their votes to bring the tournament home because many cricket boards were highly dependent on financial assistance from the ICC which the governing body gives from its annual revenue.

Winning the Bid

During the ICC meeting, the BCCI and PCB representatives made a bold offer, promising the Associate Member nations and Full Member nations of the ICC five times and four times the financial benefits that England had been providing earlier. To this eye-opening offer, the ECB was left unspoken and had no counteroffer. When the voting took place, India and Pakistan won by 16 votes to 12 and for the first time in history, the Cricket World Cup was set to be held outside England. But, hang on. There's another issue that India had to tackle back home.

The Funding Crisis

Winning the bid was one thing, but organizing the World Cup in India, the country which had never hosted an event at this level and hence it was an even bigger challenge. The hosting cost of the tournament was estimated at around Rs 32 crore. Since India was hosting most of the matches, it had to cover two-thirds of the expenses.

The plan was originally to generate revenue through sponsorships and television rights, but those funds were going to come in after the tournament and the BCCI needed immediate financial backing, and that’s where the real struggle began.

Initially, Salve turned to then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who backed the idea and convinced industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani, the owner of Reliance Industries, to fund the tournament. But just when it seemed like things were falling into place, the tragedy struck, Indira Gandhi was assassinated and Rajiv Gandhi took over as Prime Minister in 1984.

Rajiv Gandhi’s government wasn't friendly with the Ambanis. When the Finance Ministry, under VP Singh, came to know that Salve and Ambani were planning such an event, they started closely monitoring Reliance’s financial dealings, ultimately putting an end to funding from Reliance group for the World Cup.

A Desperate Search for Sponsors

The time was running out and the BCCI had no single penny. The BCCI approached international sponsors such as Coca-Cola, Gillette, and Mitsubishi, but the companies refused to fund the tournament stating they didn't see enough financial benefit in investing in the tournament. As a result, the BCCI managed to raise only Rs. 38 lakh—far from the required amount.

Salve and BCCI were left with no options and the deadline for submitting the first amount of the total money was looming closer.

PM Rajiv Gandhi's Inclusion & His Situation

After losing his mother, Rajiv Gandhi was pushed into the political centre stage with his own party scoffing at inexperience. What Indira Gandhi used to do with an iron fist, Rajiv Gandhi had to do with an open hand. Amid all these, with the deadline fast approaching, Salve went to meet PM Rajiv Gandhi asking for then 1.8 million pounds, which meant touching the foreign reserve which is seen as the last resort in case of financial crisis and wars. He had to take money out of there for a game in a country where people used to stand in line for hours just for rations. All of this, within 6 months of his prime ministerial position.

At best, it could be a gamble, with absolutely no benefits for him. At worst, it could be a political suicide and Rajiv Gandhi decided to roll the dice. The reasoning was simple. If we couldn't pay that money, India would be humiliated on the global stage. With the last World Cup win, cricket itself was a source of pride for Indians. So, if it was a risk, it was a risk. Well Worth taking so, the Indian government paid off that 1.8 million pounds so that BCCI will eventually find a sponsor.

Turning Back to Reliance

However, Salve was still under immense pressure to find a sponsor and there came the breakthrough when VP Singh was transferred out of the Finance Ministry to the Defence Ministry. This gave Salve another chance to meet then-PM Rajeev Gandhi and explain to him the situation. Rajeev Gandhi backed the decision and allowed him to negotiate with Dhirubhai Ambani.

This time, Ambani agreed to fund the tournament—but on two conditions.

1. Ambani would sit next to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi during the India-Pakistan exhibition match which was held just before the World Cup.

2. The tournament would be renamed the Reliance Cup.

The BCCI approved the conditions and Ambani funded the tournament. Ambani not only provided Rs. 6 crore to the Indian government but also spent Rs. 9 crore to secure the title sponsorship and brand association. His son, Anil Ambani, was given the responsibility of overseeing Reliance’s involvement in the tournament.

The Birth of Cricket’s New Powerhouse

With Reliance on board, the 1987 Cricket World Cup—officially called the Reliance Cup—went ahead as planned. For the first time, the tournament had neutral umpires, and matches were reduced to 50 overs per side, a format that would become the standard in ODIs. However, India lost vs England by 35 runs in the semi-final. But the event was a massive success, proving that other countries can host major cricket tournaments, marking the beginning of a shift in cricket’s financial power from England to the subcontinent.

Over the years, India would grow into the financial epicentre of world cricket, dominating in terms of revenue, sponsorships, and viewership. But it all started with the 1987 World Cup—an event made possible by the self-respect of Indian administrators, the bold vision of NKP Salve, and the business acumen of Dhirubhai Ambani. Currently, the Indian Cricket Board -- BCCI is the richest cricket body in the world.