Sachin Tendulkar to lead India in International Masters League, tournament to feature Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis and Shane WatsonÂ
Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is all set to lead India in the upcoming International Masters League (IML), a new tournament that will feature some of the biggest retired cricket greats from around the world. The T20 event will be played from November 17 to December 8.
Apart from India, the IML will feature teams from Australia, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. Matches will be held at three venues - the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai and SVNS Cricket Stadium in Raipur. As per The Times of India, the first four games in the IML will be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.
The tournament will begin with clash between India and Sri Lanka. In the second match, Shane Watson-led Australia will face South Africa, who will be captained by Jacques Kallis. West Indies, led by Brian Lara, taking on Australia is another interesting encounter in the offing.
Further, India will face South Africa at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on November 21.
After six games in Lucknow, the IML will move to the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur. Here, India will face England on November 28. Raipur will also host the two semifinals and the final on December 8.
What league ambassador Tendulkar said about IML
Speaking about the launch of the International Masters League, tournament ambassador Tendulkar said that he's eagerly looking forward to leading and representing India Masters in the league.
"The action on the field will no doubt be competitive and exciting. All the players are enthused at the prospect of playing the IML at multiple venues. It's an opportunity to inspire the next generation while celebrating the sport that we all love," the former India captain said.
Tendulkar was previously seen playing on the cricket field during the Road Safety World Series back in September-October 2022. He led India Legends to victory over Sri Lanka Legends in the final in Raipur. While the Master Blaster is the league ambassador, another former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is the commissioner of the T20 tournament.