New T20 league of retired cricketers to kick off in November; team owners, broadcaster yet to be 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.

Nostalgic cricket

“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.

Despite the growing anticipation, the league is still working on finalising franchise ownership through a request-for-proposal (RFP) process. Six teams—India, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, and South Africa—have been confirmed.

“The RFP process will be open to anyone, not just Indian bidders,” clarified D’Souza. The base price is ₹5 crore for non-Indian teams and ₹10 crore for the Indian team. Franchise owners are guaranteed a 70% return of their base price from central revenue, which is a rare incentive compared to other leagues. “We want franchise owners to feel secure and confident in their investment,” D’Souza added.

Broadcast rights are another crucial element still under negotiation. IML’s organisers are in talks with broadcasters both in India and abroad. “SPORTFIVE is using its global network to ensure we secure coverage in major markets,” said Stefan Felsing, CEO of SPORTFIVE. “We expect to finalise deals soon that will give us a presence in key cricketing regions and beyond.”

Nation vs nation T20 format

A key selling point of the IML is its nation-vs-nation format, featuring only international stars. “Our captains alone have over 300 centuries, 100,000 test runs, and 1,000 wickets between them,” D’Souza emphasized. Legends like Tendulkar (India), Lara (West Indies), Sangakkara (Sri Lanka), Shane Watson (Australia), Eoin Morgan (England), and Jacques Kallis (South Africa) will lead their teams, offering fans the chance to see these greats back in action. A total of 90 players from these six nations have already signed contracts.

“The nostalgia factor is huge,” Felsing noted. “It’s similar to legendary rock bands going on tour and playing to packed audiences. Class is permanent. These players may be retired, but they’re still global stars, and they’ll be just as competitive on the field.”

While some may question the performance level of retired cricketers compared to current players, the organisers remain confident. “Tell Sachin he’s not as competitive as today’s IPL stars, and I guarantee you, he’ll prove you wrong,” D’Souza said with a laugh. “These legends hate losing, and they’ve been training hard for this. It’s going to be a serious competition.”

As the 17 November start date nears, the IML team is confident that both franchise ownership and broadcast deals will be finalised in time. “We should be able to announce the team owners by the end of this month,” D’Souza confirmed. “Everything is coming together nicely.”

However, some sports marketing experts caution that the league’s close timeline and lack of a confirmed broadcast partner could impact its visibility. Without a deal soon, the league may face challenges in reaching its potential audience.