Mumbai, March 20 -- Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, former Indian cricketer Lakshmipathy Balaji said that the league and "its franchise owners, leadership groups and ecosystem" had a key role in India's two successive white-ball title wins, the T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The 2025 season of the league will kickstart with a clash between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Balaji, a one-time IPL winner who took 76 wickets in 73 matches at an average of 26.68 and represented franchises like Chennai Super Kings (CSK), KKR (one title) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in his career, spoke on impact of the cash-rich league.

Balaji said that it has nurtured t...