New T20 league of retired cricketers to kick off in November
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mumbai: The International Masters League (IML), a new T20 cricket tournament featuring legendary players from six nations, is set to begin on 17 November. Icons like Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and Kumar Sangakkara will lead teams in this nostalgia-fuelled competition, which aims to blend cricketing heritage with the fast-paced excitement of the T20 format.
However, key aspects such as team ownership and broadcast partnerships are still being finalised. The league is majority owned by the global sports marketing agency SPORTFIVE, which holds a 51% stake, while Sunil Gavaskar’s PMG Sports and Sachin Tendulkar’s SRT Sports Management share the remaining ownership equally. “We saw a huge market for nostalgia sports, especially with T20 being the current flavour," said Melroy D’Souza, CEO of PMG Sports, speaking to Mint.
"We thought, why not bring nostalgia and T20 together, where every player is an international cricketer?" What sets IML apart, D’Souza noted, is that unlike other tournaments, every participant has represented their country at the international level. “No other league guarantees this kind of lineup. It’s what makes us unique," he added.
The league will kick off at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, with India, led by Tendulkar, facing Sri Lanka, captained by Sangakkara. Following this, matches will be played in Lucknow at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium and Raipur, with the final scheduled for 8 December in Raipur. A total of 18 matches will be held, and the event is expected to attract global attention from cricket fans.
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