Saudi Arabia plans new T20 cricket league challenging IPL

Dubai: Saudi Arabia is planning a new Twenty20 cricket league ready to challenge the most-popular Indian Premier League and the Big Bash League.

According to The Age, the proposed league will have eight teams and will have matches in four different locations during the year.

The project is a brainchild of Australian Neil Maxwell, a former NSW and Victoria all-rounder who manages Australian captain Pat Cummins and is a former board member of the Australian Cricketers’ Association and Cricket NSW.

The league will feature teams based in established cricketing nations, including India and Australia, but will also look to expand into emerging nations. Both men's and women's competitions are planned, and the final may be held in Saudi Arabia.

The league is reportedly being funded by Saudi Arabia's sRJ Sports Investments and are in discussions with the International Cricket Council for the approvals.

“Sources familiar with the discussions, who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the talks, have revealed that a group of investors is set to support the still-unnamed global cricket league. Saudi Arabia is expected to be the primary financial backer, with the kingdom reportedly ready to invest $500 million (approximately $800 million) into the cricket venture,” the report stated.

The final approval depends on ICC chairman Jay Shah and in addition, the BCCI will also have to lift its restriction on active Indian cricketers participating in overseas T20 leagues if they are to allow the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah to feature in this new league.