The start of the year 2023 has witnessed three brand new T20 leagues entering the cricket world, UAE’s International League T20 (ILT20), South Africa’s SA20 (SA20), and India’s Women’s Premier League (WPL). The latter is the most recent high-profile franchise league and arguably the biggest T20 league in women’s cricket.
ILT20 and SA20 were boosted by Indian Premier League (IPL) owners expanding their territory by acquiring new teams. Both the leagues were successful in attracting big-name talent from T20 cricket, barring the Indian players of course. But the main question for the organizers was the potential viewership setback with both newbies running alongside Australia’s reputed Big Bash League (BBL) and Bangladesh’s struggling Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
But the cricket fraternity welcomed the both ILT20 and SA20 with open arms as viewership was reported above expectations. Stadiums were packed, especially in South Africa, till the last game as the show never seemed to slow down or lose a touch despite taking a mid-tournament break to allow South Africa vs England ODI series to be played within a span of few days.
ILT20 has now valued the biggest league in T20 cricket in terms of money, after IPL. Zee Entertainment, the official broadcaster of the tournament, reported over 108 million individual viewers in India, and that number was before the knockout games. SA20’s official viewership numbers are not out there but after witnessing packed stadiums for all 33 games, one can imagine its success on debut.
WPL to lead the women’s T20 cricket
Apart from both the men’s cricketing leagues, India’s Women’s Premier League was an instant hit in the short market. Both Big Bash League and The Hundred have provided a stable path for women’s cricket growth but they lacked the campaign to fill the gaps. WPL was long due and so far, it has ticked all the boxes that WBBL and The Hundred were struggling to fill.
WPL’s first big success was record-breaking broadcast and sponsorship deals and then selling the five teams for a whooping price of USD 572.78 million. The player auction also grabbed the world’s attention with teams spending USD 7.2 million to sign 87 players.
But barring the off-field money numbers, the tournament is proving a big hit and has already recorded staggering viewership. It is already in the bracket of standards set by WBBL and The Hundred in women’s cricket and it is expected to raise it further in the upcoming years.
So, an exceptional rise of T20 cricket is having a positive impact on the game as it continues to cross its limited borders. Cricket is not a global sport, yet, but it is definitely on a mission to acquire a new market and T20 cricket is the best tool to attract new territory.
USA to taste T20 cricket with MLC 2023 and the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
The most recent example is the United States of America, one of the most popular sports nations in the world. NFL, NBA, and MLB are among the most popular tournaments in the USA and cricket is still considered an outsider game. International Cricket Council is looking to change the scenarios with big plans to popularize cricket in the USA.
USA Cricket by joining a strategic partnership with the Cricket West Indies has already won the hosting rights for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Now it has been reported that the ICC is looking to allot a high-voltage India vs Pakistan World Cup game to the USA.
But apart from international T20 cricket, US cricket fans are about to witness a new T20 league, Major League Cricket (MLC) which is scheduled to start on July 7, 2023. Owners from three IPL teams, including Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, have won the bid to own the MLC teams.
A player draft emerged as a big success with the international stars Aaron Finch, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Quinton de Kock, and Anrich Nortje, among others confirming their participation. The organizers now have good three months to market the league and prepare themselves with USD 120 million available from fundraising.
Meanwhile, more settled leagues like BBL and Pakistan’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) enjoyed a sharp rise in viewership in their most recent editions. So, one can conclude that the old and settled leagues are here to stay and grow alongside the newcomers.
IPL’s Midas Touch
Now, let’s turn focus to the upcoming Indian Premier League 2023 season, which will kick off on March 31. IPL, in its 16th edition, has been a leading pack of T20 cricket all over the world with considerable influence on ILT20, SA20, and WPL. The viewership numbers are not required to justify its grip on the sport as the ICC has granted a separate window in the 2023 calendar year schedule for the BCCI’s prized child.
IPL team owners are proving aggressive in capturing the fresh market with teams in ILT20, SA20, WPL, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and most recently in MLC. However, it is proving as a Midas Touch for the new leagues due to its well-established fanbase.
Graeme Smith, South Africa’s most successful captain, and an SA20 2023 League Commissioner admitted that the SA20 would follow the IPL footprints to further popularize cricket in South Africa.
Better opportunities for upcoming local talent
A sharp rise in popularity in T20 cricket has benefitted the game and its key ingredient, the players as T20 franchise leagues are proving as great platforms for talented cricketers. Many unknown cricketers bagged the opportunities to feature in T20 leagues and showed the cricketing world their hidden talent.
The biggest example to justify it is India’s Suryakumar Yadav, the current no.1 T20I batter in the ICC chart. Suryakumar, born in Mumbai, was under the radar during his first four IPL seasons with Kolkata Knight Riders. But since joining Mumbai Indians before the 2018 edition, no player has made the biggest impact in T20 cricket than Suryakumar has in that time frame.
Umran Malik is another name that is witnessing a sharp rise in T20 cricket despite playing only a handful of domestic matches. Right-arm pacer from Jammu and Kashmir, 23, is already regarded as the fastest seamer in Indian cricket history and credit goes to only 17 IPL games so far.
Not only IPL but other T20 cricket leagues are proving crucial to scratch out young local talent. Singapore’s Tim David, now a regular part of Australia’s T20I team, used BBL and PSL as a ladder to the highest pedestal in T20 cricket. PSL 2023 has further scorched the local talent with Abbas Afridi and Ihsanullah emerging to the world cricket.
Haris Rauf, Pakistan’s highest-ranked bowler in T20Is, was playing tape-ball cricket on roads till his successful trials with Lahore Qalandars before the 2017 edition. UAE’s Muhammad Waseem, the second-highest leading run-getter for MI Emirates in ILT20 2023, and Namibia’s David Wiese are now among ICC T20I top-ten standings.
There are many more Haris Raufs who were playing in the lanes in India and Pakistan and steam in with the hope that if they continue to sweat it out, there is a platform waiting for them, which can put them on the world map.
Mohak Arora Parimatch Brand sports expert
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