A light-hearted post has reopened a serious conversation around intellectual property, control, and cricket’s global dynamics.
Iceland Cricket brought back its past exchange with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), revealing how a trademark warning over the use of “IPL” once forced a rebranding—an episode now reframed with characteristic humour.
How a trademark dispute resurfaced
“There was once a time when the @bcci lawyer’s threatened to sue us. We made the mistake of advertising our Icelandic Premier League tournament as the IPL. We decided we could either fight back or give in. We gave in. Íslensk Premier League (ÍPL) it became,” Iceland Cricket posted on X, recounting the origins of the dispute.
There was once a time when the @bcci lawyer's threatened to sue us.
We made the mistake of advertising our Icelandic Premier League tournament as the IPL.
We decided we could either fight back or give in. We gave in.
Íslensk Premier League (ÍPL) it became.
— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) March 23, 2026
“PS, once it became the ÍPL, they never emailed us again, and our franchise tournament became the world’s most popular T20 franchise tournament*.
*in the sub-Arctic,” it added, maintaining a satirical tone while signalling compliance with the request.
PS, once it became the ÍPL, they never emailed us again, and our franchise tournament became the world's most popular T20 franchise tournament*.
*in the sub-Arctic
— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) March 23, 2026
Inside the BCCI’s legal position
At the centre of the issue was a formal communication sent on behalf of the BCCI, outlining its ownership and commercial control over the IPL brand.
“We realise that some people may not believe us, so choose to upload the email we received in April 2022,” Iceland Cricket posted on X, introducing the communication shared publicly.
We realise that some people may not believe us, so choose to upload the email we received in April 2022. pic.twitter.com/HWMT3HoHGc
— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) March 23, 2026
“We represent the legal interests of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (“BCCI”), the governing body for cricket in India and the governing body of the Indian Premier League (“IPL”). We are writing to you in relation to Iceland Cricket Association’s usage of the IPL proprietary name in an online promotion,” legal representatives of the Board of Control for Cricket in India wrote in an email to Iceland Cricket.
The message emphasised the commercial structure surrounding the league, including exclusive agreements with partners and stakeholders.
“As you are likely aware, in order to stage events such as the IPL, the BCCI contracts with official broadcasters, commercial partners and licensees and, in turn, grants them exclusivity of association with the IPL and exclusivity of usage of IPL proprietary names, marks and logos and other proprietary and protected IPL content, including audio and audio-visual match footage.”
The request itself was direct, focusing on the removal of any reference to the IPL name.
“Therefore, we request you to suitably amend the content of your promotion, including any promotional or advertising materials on your social media pages or your website or any websites owned and/or controlled by you, and to remove any references to the IPL’s proprietary name.”
A wider tone beyond the dispute
While the legal exchange itself reflects standard intellectual property enforcement, Iceland Cricket’s decision to revisit it publicly—years later—has added a distinct layer of commentary.
“The PSL is coming up and that is very exciting for many millions of cricket fans. We have always wondered what PSL stands for and it turns out it means Petrol Shortage League,” Iceland Cricket posted on X, extending its humour to developments around the Pakistan Super League.
The PSL is coming up and that is very exciting for many millions of cricket fans.
We have always wondered what PSL stands for and it turns out it means Petrol Shortage League.
— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) March 22, 2026
The remark came amid operational challenges affecting the tournament, linking the post’s tone to broader events within the cricket calendar.
Context behind the PSL situation
Those challenges were acknowledged by Mohsin Naqvi, who outlined the constraints facing the tournament.
“The Prime Minister requested all of Pakistan to restrict their movements because of the fuel crisis. We closed schools and instituted work from home and increased the number of Eid holidays. We don’t know how long this war will last,” Naqvi said at a press conference in Lahore at Gaddafi Stadium.
He added that the circumstances required significant operational adjustments.
“Looking at all of this and after discussions with our security agencies, we decided that the PSL would continue as per the original schedule. But we can’t ask people to restrict their movements and then have 30,000 people in stadiums every day. We decided that as long as this crisis is ongoing, we will not have crowds at matches. This was a difficult decision, but it needed to be made. The opening ceremony will also be cancelled. Because there are no crowds anyway, there was no reason to go to those cities. And we have to restrict our movements so resources are not wasted,” he added.
More than just a viral moment
What began as a retrospective post has evolved into a broader reflection of cricket’s structure. For Iceland Cricket, the episode highlights both the reach of the IPL’s brand protection and the realities faced by smaller boards navigating that ecosystem.
