Is the IPL ready for Life after Its Big Three?

For as long as most cricket fans can remember, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has revolved around three names – MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma.

For over a decade, these men haven’t just dominated the cricket field, they’ve been the faces, voices, and emotions behind the IPL’s marketing juggernaut.

Their images are plastered across stadium hoardings, broadcast trailers, and brand campaigns.

In its early years, the IPL’s ‘Big Three’ helped establish the league’s emotional connection with fans across the country.

But now, in its 18th season, the IPL is no longer a fledgling competition.

It is the most valuable franchise cricket league in the world, boasting world-class players, analysts, and innovations. Yet, its branding remains stuck in time.

The IPL must now ask itself a difficult question: Can it survive, let alone grow, if it continues to market these icons while ignoring the future?

The Business of Nostalgia

It’s easy to understand why the IPL has stuck with the Big Three for so long.

MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma are generational figures.

Dhoni is a two-time World Cup-winning captain and a symbol of calm under pressure. Kohli is a batting phenom with unmatched consistency and aggression. Sharma has multiple IPL titles and limited-overs trophies to his name.

Fans have grown up with them. In an age where loyalty in sport is rare, these men have stuck with their respective IPL franchises for over a decade.

It has deepened fan connections and strengthened regional identities.

From Chennai’s yellow army singing Dhoni’s name in unison to RCB fans holding up “Ee sala cup namde” signs in Bangalore, these players are the emotional backbone of the league.

But as of the 2025 season, Dhoni is 43, Sharma is 37, and Kohli is 36.

All three have retired from international T20s. Two of them, Dhoni and Sharma, are showing signs of physical decline.

Yet, the IPL’s marketing machine marches on, centring match promos and merchandise around them while pushing younger talent to the background.

Star Power vs Team Performance

This loyalty to individual stardom has come at a cost.

On the field, several decisions have raised eyebrows.

Mumbai Indians retained Rohit Sharma for Rs. 16.3 crore (£1.4 million), only to later demote him from the captaincy. His form has been patchy. He has missed matches due to injury and scored just 141 runs at a strike rate of 121 in his last 10 games.

Chennai retained Dhoni for Rs. 4 crore (£35,000) as an “uncapped” player. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming admitted Dhoni’s batting entries are dictated by how his knees feel on the day. That’s hardly the criteria for a top-level professional athlete. And yet, the fans still chant his name regardless of the results.

The same goes for RCB. Despite not winning a single IPL title, they remain one of the most commercially successful franchises, largely due to Kohli’s enduring appeal.

Fans will argue that it’s about more than numbers, it’s about emotion.

And they’re not wrong. But for a league with global ambitions and a tightly packed calendar, sentiment cannot be the sole business strategy.

Is the IPL resisting Change?

If it were just a matter of ageing superstars playing out their final seasons, this wouldn’t be such a concern.

But the real issue lies in how the league is resisting a generational transition.

When Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid retired from the IPL in 2013, the league didn’t flinch.

Dhoni was already an IPL-winning captain. Kohli was well on his way to becoming India’s best batter. Sharma was beginning to establish himself.

The baton was passed naturally.

This time, the signs are worrying. The league seems unprepared for life after the Big Three.

Young stars like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Hardik Pandya are all incredibly talented.

But they aren’t being promoted as future icons.

Even when broadcasters label them as ‘Gen Bold’, the build-up, narratives, and storylines are still centred on the older generation.

It’s like marketing a superhero movie around retired characters while ignoring the new leads.

2022’s Missed Opportunity

The signs of audience fatigue already exist.

In 2022, the IPL saw a nearly 18% drop in viewership.

This came after the introduction of two new franchises and a player reshuffle that broke several long-standing team associations.

The league had a chance to introduce new narratives, rivalries, and heroes.

Instead, the absence of familiar faces led to disengagement. And that’s telling. If team reshuffles can trigger such a sharp decline, what will happen when the three most recognisable faces walk away for good?

This fear has made the IPL risk-averse. Rather than invest in building the next generation’s aura, it is desperately trying to extend the old one.

Taking Lessons from the NBA

The IPL is not alone in facing this dilemma.

The NBA faced a similar crossroads when Michael Jordan retired.

The league could’ve stalled but instead, it doubled down on creating new storylines – Kobe vs Shaq, LeBron vs Duncan.

Rivalries were manufactured. Stars were elevated.

By the time Jordan left for good, the NBA was ready. It didn’t lose relevance, it expanded its reach.

The IPL must do the same. It needs to begin investing in future rivalries – Gill vs Gaikwad, Pant vs Samson, Jaiswal vs Abhishek.

Each of these players could represent their franchise, their region, and a new generation of fans.

The Rise of Cricket-First Franchises

Some franchises have already recognised the shift.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are a prime example.

Their explosive, analytics-driven playing style has become their calling card. Fans wear orange not just for the players, but for the aggressive cricket the team represents.

It’s a subtle but crucial shift where identity is rooted in strategy, not stardom.

This model offers a template for other franchises.

Build the brand around the cricket, not the cricketers. Let players emerge as stars by association with a philosophy, a system, a legacy.

Incentivising teams to retain their young core is also vital. Frequent auctions break continuity.

If players like Jaiswal, Abhishek, or Tilak Varma stay with one team long enough, they can build the kind of emotional capital the Big Three enjoy today.

The IPL is now 18.

Like any teenager stepping into adulthood, the IPL must make choices that will shape the rest of its journey.

It can cling to the past, milking the final years of the Big Three for every last broadcast rating.

Or it can embrace its future, investing in youth, performance, and fresh narratives.

Virat Kohli is still good enough to compete. Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, perhaps not so much.

But the bigger question is not about these three. It’s about the league itself. Can it evolve before it’s too late?

Because if it doesn’t, it risks stagnation.

And in a world where cricket leagues are sprouting in every direction, Major League Cricket, ILT20, SA20, stagnation is a luxury the IPL cannot afford.

Dhoni, Kohli, and Sharma have carried the IPL for 18 years.

Now, the league must learn to walk, and thrive, on its own.