As dawn breaks on a new era in India, it?s hard to imagine how much better things can get for cricket. If the precursor to the launch of the great Indian brand-mobile was the T20 Cricket World Cup (T20 WC) that India stunningly won in 2007, then the fitting conclusion, if you will, was none other than the moment every Indian has dreamed of?lifting the Cricket World Cup at Wankhede on April 2, 2011. With India firmly entrenched in the upper echelon of the Test and ODI rankings, and with the IPL belonging exclusively to India, the epic moment that will send the business of Indian sports into an entirely different zone is that of becoming the Cricket World Cup 2011 (CWC 2011) champions.

ODI cricket is a difficult product to sell in today?s day and age. A nine-hour time investment into a match with sometimes underwhelming performances is difficult to justify. Even for broadcasters, sponsors and advertisers, consistent viewership that would justify constant ad-rates or crores of rupees worth of budgeting is a tricky prospect at best. From that standpoint, T20 cricket is ideal in every way. With India struggling to perform up to expectations in the last few editions of the World Cup, this was a testing time for ODI cricket. One that would put a stamp on the future of ODI cricket, and especially the future CWCs. With nearly fifty days of ebb and flow cricket qualitatively and quantitatively, one could be forgiven for eulogising the sport, the format, and above all, the brand of ODI cricket. And then came the magic?with just enough suspense to keep everyone riveted in front of their televisions or at bars, clubs, and whatnot. The K-T line was drawn starting from the final group match?India?s slot-deciding victory over the West Indies, and then came the onslaught.

Without doubt, this is the biggest moment ever for the business of Indian sports. With 1.2 billion people following every minute of the matches and the buildups, there is little doubt that the CWC 2011 finals will go down as the most watched match in the history of the sub-continent, and globally it will be second only to the FIFA World Cups in terms of viewership. And while cricket?s skewed and disproportionate popularity is hardly breaking news, the CWC 2011 imbibed much from the commercialisation of the IPL, while maintaining the patriotic fervour. And what a CWC does, especially one where a popular victor emerges, is give the event and sport a global brand and awareness. Keeping that in mind, a CWC where the most populous and powerful of the competing nations takes on and defeats the three time-defending champions in the quarter-finals, the most fierce rival in the semi-finals, and then in a hotly contested final on home turf seals the deal in a cliff-hanger, has few, if any rivals. A host-nation winning a world cup in any sport sparks an entirely new era of branding, participation, popularity, and lucrative collaterals. France?s FIFA World Cup victory in 1998 comes to mind.

In a cricket-mad nation starving for the stardust that sets alight Sachin?s legacy, it couldn?t get any better than this. And believe it or not, the moment is all the more magical because Sachin did not score his 100th hundred on his home turf. There has been too much unwarranted speculation and too many unsubstantiated conspiracy theories surrounding the CWC 2011. Those should be put to rest with the enduring and endearing images of the man who epitomises the definition of brand: MSD, smashing the CWC-winning six, and the entire team converging onto the field shortly thereafter. Sure, legalising sports betting is something that should be looked into, if for no other reason than to give the sports themselves some sort of revenue model that could help in developing facilities and talent.

Don?t forget the impact India?s World Cup win will have on the IPL. There are obvious synergies and an eventual changing of the guard from ODIs to T20, given the many reasons why ODIs (except for the CWCs) are likely to struggle to maintain their popularity. And since the nature of the two formats is quite different, there is little risk of saturation or boredom. IPL IV, in fact, will prevent most Indians from suffering the effects of withdrawal. So, from a sponsorship, advertising and marketing perspective, the business of IPL IV is likely to expand beyond its already sizeable horizons. The heady mix of patriotism along with the glamour quotient of IPL IV is the perfect steak and sizzle combination.

Not only that, the defending champions are no other than the Chennai Super Kings?MSD?s very own.

Add to that the fact that the biggest stars of the CWC 2011 are Yuvraj Singh?captain of the Pune Warriors (another Sahara property), Gautam Gambhir will ride his popularity to Kolkata, and Suresh Raina remains at Chennai. In less than a week, watch the support these individuals generate for their respective franchises?it will be sizeable.

The CWC 2011 was an event where, for the first time in India?s business of sports history, the Indian team jerseys were sold out, bars and clubs were utilising and collateralising events and specials for CWC 2011 matches. Merchandising and licensing is becoming the norm now, and this is great news for the IPL and also for other sports in India. Collaterals and sport-related premiums are the bread and butter of the business of sports globally, and now one can finally see the familiarisation of such incentives in the Indian fan?s psyche.

While, for other sports, there may be somewhat limited synergies in the short run, over time the burgeoning impact of this development and brand awareness is likely to have a positive effect on all sports and professional leagues in India. In the short run, however, the biggest winner will be the IPL. Expect to see a massive increase in all the core and supporting revenue streams, and initiatives. The great Indian roadshow has done the biggest favour to its dynamic cousin. The brand is set in stone, and the benefits are for those who bled blue, but haven?t lost sight of the green.

The author is a Sports Attorney with J Sagar Associates. Views are personal