The T10 journey: Evolution from Abu Dhabi T10 2017 to US Masters T10 League 2023
US Masters T10 League 2023 will take place from August 18 to 27. Several retired cricketers like Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Shahid Afridi, Chris Gayle, Chamara Kapugedara, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliot, Fidel Edwards, Dwayne Smith and others will entertain fans in the United States.
This tournament aims to popularize cricket in the United States. The administrators of the game have been trying hard to break into the USA sports market. Earlier this year, the inaugural edition of Major League Cricket happened in the US, and then, India played two T20Is against West Indies in Florida last weekend.
The US Masters T10 League aims to attract more cricket fans toward the sport in the USA. The T10 format has come a long way from the time it was launched. T10 League's first edition happened in the United Arab Emirates back in the year 2017.
Big names of world cricket like Virender Sehwag, Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw, Kamran Akmal, Dwayne Bravo, Mohammad Amir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Nabi, Dinesh Chandimal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Misbah-ul-Haq and Luke Ronchi played in the inaugural edition of T10 League.
At that time, some fans were not ready to accept this format because the teams only play 10 overs each, and the matches last for 90 minutes. However, in the last six years, Abu Dhabi T10 League has become one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Millions of fans watch the matches live in different parts of the world.
The number of teams in the first edition of T10 League was six, but now the number has increased to eight in Abu Dhabi, five in Africa (Zim-Afro T10 League) and six in USA (US Masters T10 League).
Involvement of retired cricketers has pushed popularity of T10 cricket
Fans who were initially against this format have gradually accepted the format because T10 cricket allows the retired cricketers to expand their careers. Cricketers need to maintain fitness to play Test cricket and ODIs regularly, but in T10 format, the matches last for 90 minutes, meaning the players have to field for 45 minutes, and bowlers have to bowl only two overs.
Several retired cricketers from the top cricketing nations have accepted offers to play in T10 competitions. As mentioned ahead, US Masters T10 League will feature multiple legends of cricket.
High viewership expected for US Masters T10 League
When these legends take the field, they ensure that there are a lot of fans watching the matches. The T10 format brings a different kind of thrill to the table as it is quite difficult to predict which team will win a particular match.
In the recently-concluded Zim-Afro T10 League, the team that finished second in the points table had eight points, while the team that finished last in the standings had six points, highlighting how close the margins are in this format. US Masters T10 League should have a similar intense race to the playoffs as well.
In the last six years, T10 format has managed to build a massive fanbase. The official handle of T10 League has more than 400,000 followers on Instagram, while the official channel of the tournament has 1.97 million subscribers. Several video clips from T10 League have more than 5 million views on YouTube.
In the modern era of cricket, the bilateral matches of Test-playing nations are failing to earn TV deals. Meanwhile, the upcoming US Masters T10 League will be live on Star Sports and JioCinema in India. It is pertinent to note that they are the official broadcasters of IPL as well.
Be it whirlwind innings, dream spells or unbelievable fielding, fans have enjoyed cricket's fastest format a lot. It should not be a surprise if US Masters T10 League is a massive hit among the fans.