T10 league gets ICC sanction for the second edition

International cricket could be in for yet another new variant as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially sanctioned the second season of the T10 League. It is set to commence from November 23 in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates. This move from cricket’s governing body comes as a huge boost for the league which is slowly gaining popularity.

The inaugural edition of the tournament witnessed six sides competing for the glory with Eoin Morgan’s Kerala Kings winning the title, defeating Punjabi Legends in the final. A couple of teams have been added to the league this year and it will be a 10-day affair.

The ICC has approved the T10’s organisers’ quest of running the first 10-over format cricket league which features local as well as international players. India’s Virender Sehwag was among the participants in the first season albeit briefly.

T10 organisers delighted

The chairman of the T10 League, Shaji Ul Mulk, was delighted as he informed the news of ICC sanctioning the tournament. At the same time, he also felt that it’s up to them now to keep growing with every passing year.

“This sanction from ICC for T10 League gives our partners, stakeholders and more importantly the players a much-needed boost. Having said that, it additionally gives us the responsibility to ensure we keep growing year-on-year and make this format globally acceptable,” he was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

The President of the league was also thrilled to bits and felt that its expansion from six to eight teams proves that the tournament is gaining more popularity.

“The sanction from the ICC will only add further shine to the global appeal of the event. We believe that value creation for the new teams will see a positive growth from year one. From four-day league to a ten-day league with more teams and a larger pool of international players is a testament of faith shown by fans and stakeholders,” Salman Iqbal said.

The second edition of the league will have its player draft in September. Top international players like Rashid Khan (Maratha Arabians), Morgan (Kings), Sunil Narine (Bengal Tigers), Shahid Afridi (Pakhtoons), Shoaib Malik (Punjabi Legends), Shane Watson (Karachians) and others have already been roped in as icon players for the franchise they represent.

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