Former Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian slammed former England all-rounder and captain Ian Botham, who questioned India's financial hegemony in international cricket and demanded a more equitable distribution of income.
For objecting to India's achievements in contemporary cricket, Subramanian lambasted Botham and accused Britain of benefiting from centuries of colonial exploitation in a strongly-worded post.
"Ian Botham (no, I will not call him “Sir”) says India's financial dominance in cricket is a 'problem' and the wealth should be 'distributed more fairly.' Let me get this straight," Subramanian wrote on his X handle on Thursday.
According to Subramanian, economic exploitation was a long-standing legacy of British colonial power over India. He claimed that during the roughly 200 years that Britain ruled over India, the subcontinent lost an estimated $45 trillion.
"Britain ruled India for nearly 200 years. Drained an estimated $45 trillion from the subcontinent. Engineered famines that killed millions. Systematically dismantled industries so Indian textiles couldn't compete with Lancashire mills. Extracted timber, cotton, opium, indigo, and called it civilisation." he further wrote.
Ian Botham (no, I will not call him “Sir”) says India's financial dominance in cricket is a “problem” and the wealth should be “distributed more fairly.”
— Prof. Krishnamurthy V Subramanian (@SubramanianKri) June 25, 2026
Let me get this straight.
Britain ruled India for nearly 200 years. Drained an estimated $45 trillion from the subcontinent.… pic.twitter.com/5Hv5gcZ52b
The renowned economist went on to say that while wealth was moving in the other direction, there were no worries about justice. "Fair distribution" was never a concern for Botham's Britain, according to Subramanian.
The former CEA claimed that rather than extraction, India's dominance in cricket revenue came from investments, audiences, and innovation.
"Not once did Botham's Britain worry about 'fair distribution.” India then rebuilt itself from near-zero. Created the IPL, which is the most valuable cricket property on the planet. Built the audiences, the passion, the broadcast revenues that turned cricket from a colonial gentleman's sport into a global business worth billions," Subramanian's post read.
"Every rupee India earns in cricket was built. Not extracted. Built. Now that the money flows toward India rather than away from it, this man is suddenly concerned about equity," he argued.
According to Subramanian, the West Indies prefer IPL contracts to those from Cricket West Indies, and the biggest tale of redistribution in history is colonialism. It simply didn't go as planned.
"And West Indies players choosing IPL contracts over Cricket West Indies? That's called the market. The same free market Britain championed for two centuries, when it worked in Britain's favour. Colonialism is the greatest redistribution story in history. It just went the wrong way," Subramanian went on to say in his post.
The debate started when during a discussion on the Stick To Cricket podcast, former England captain Michael Vaughan asked Botham whether he believed India wielded excessive influence in world cricket.
The former England all-rounder agreed with Vaughan's assessment, adding that India should consider sharing some of the financial gains it generates through the sport.
Responding to a question from David Lloyd about the decline of cricket in the Caribbean, Botham pointed to the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a key factor.
"The reason is that the best players in the Caribbean are now heading to the IPL and other franchise leagues because they are not being paid what they should be at home," Botham said.
This isn't the first time former cricketers, especially from England, have aired their opinions on India and the BCCI regarding the finances in international cricket.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
