Photo Credit: Twitter Profile Photo of @JayShah
Following the unprecedented success of the IPL and the growing popularity of the Women’s Premier League, the BCCI might introduce a third league for retired cricketers. According to Dainik Jagran, the board is considering a Legends Premier League for former players worldwide, inspired by outreach from ex-India cricketers to board secretary Jay Shah. While it may not launch immediately, the BCCI is considering the idea and aims to possibly develop the concept by next year.
There are several legends leagues globally, such as the Road Safety World Series, Legends League Cricket, World Championship of Legends, and Global Legends League, which primarily cater to retired cricketers. However, if the BCCI launches its own league, it will be the first legends tournament organized by a cricket board, as most existing leagues are run by private companies. This league could potentially feature stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers.
Tendulkar led India Legends to victory in the first two editions of the Road Safety World Series, while Yuvraj’s team won the recent World Championship of Legends in England, organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Yuvraj’s squad included several players from the 2007 and 2011 T20 World Cup-winning teams, such as Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, and Robin Uthappa.
If the BCCI succeeds, its new legends league could shift the balance in the cricket world. The IPL remains the top T20 league globally, and with significant investment and star power, this new league could impact other legends leagues. Given the physical constraints on retired players, participating in more than one league per year is unlikely.
The proposed legends league will mirror the IPL format, featuring city-based teams and home-and-away matches with franchises owned by various stakeholders. An auction will select players, with marquee names like Tendulkar and Yuvraj featured prominently. Unlike the IPL, the league will only include cricketers retired from all forms of the game, excluding active players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
