Cricket advertising in India on a sticky wicket

In Outlook Business, Krishna Gopalani analyses a shift in corporate thinking that's forcing sponsors to question their cricket-related advertising spends.

The sport used to be considered almost a religion for most Indian men but that seems to be changing: viewership hasn't really gone up in the past few years despite the launch of new formats like IPL. Meanwhile, advertising rates continue their stratospheric climb and many advertisers are raising questions on the return on investment the sport offers. So much so that some companies have slowed their game while others are talking about returning to the pavilion.