Emirates Cricket Board’s upcoming inaugural season of Premier League T20 (PL T20), a T20 League, received a major boost as some giants of the sporting world have acquired teams in the tournament.
According to a report in Times of India (ToI), English Premier League giants Manchester United owners – The Glazer family, which had failed to buy a team in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) recently, have bought a team in the Emirates T20 league along with bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Mumbai Indians.
Khan also co-owns IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders and enjoys a massive fan-following in the UAE which is seen as one another reason to boost the league.
“And for Shahrukh, Dubai has always been a second home to him. Brand SRK has been synonymous with this part of the world and it naturally augurs well to have him and his franchise participating in our league,” say those working on the property as quoted by Times of India.
Meanwhile, financial services company Capri Global, Kiran Kumar Grandhi of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals (DC) and Big Bash League (BBL) club Sydney Sixers have also became part of the league.
“January’s a great time to play cricket in the UAE. The destination caters to multiple time zones, especially in the west. It suits prime-time in the Indian sub-continent very well, as we’ve seen during the last two IPLs and the recent T20 World Cup that were played there,” industry executives, tracking developments of the development, were quoted as saying by Times of India.
According to reports, defending IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were also in the fray to acquire a team however, they backed down at the eleventh hour.
Earlier in August, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) had announced the launch of PLT20, a six-team franchise-style league, will be played in January and February 2022.
The T20 league was sanctioned by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of ECB.
As part of the announcement, the tournament logo was also unveiled which is an ode to its home city – Dubai.
The hallmark of the new league is that it will have highest number of international players in a squad. This unique aspect of the league will attract some of the biggest names in world cricket while also giving a platform and international exposure to upcoming players.
The logo fosters and exudes a patriotic fervour with the UAE’s national symbol – the majestic Falcon draped in UAE’s flag colours, which then symbolically intertwines with the unmistakable Cricket image – the powerful hit of a batsman. All the elements of the PLT20 logo are then encased by a shield; symbolizing pride, honour and strength which combine to create an unbreakable, uniting force of the United Arab Emirates – values which will underpin every aspect of the PLT20.
The league is duly approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC).