Sachin Tendulkar [Source: @BCCI/x]
Former Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar will once again be gracing the cricket field through the upcoming inaugural edition of the International Masters League. Slated to commence from February 22 onwards, the tournament will feature a legion of all-time greats representing teams from India, Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, West Indies and Australia.
Tendulkar will be leading the Indian contingent, and fellow legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar will serve as the league commissioner.
Sachin Tendulkar hypes up IML 2025
India’s all-time batting greats Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar have hyped up the inaugural edition of the International Masters League. Tendulkar, in particular, has claimed that IML was conceived to become a “meeting point” between passionate fans and competitive cricketers.
Moreover, the legendary Indian batter also claimed that fans would love to witness the revival of past rivalries with age-old battles between former players, albeit in cricket’s newer formats. He said:
“Cricket continues to grow in popularity not just in India, but across the world. In the last decade, T20 cricket has accelerated its adoption, and has drawn new fans into the game. There is now a strong desire among fans across ages, to re-witness age-old battles in newer formats. Sportspersons never retire at heart, and the competitive streak within, waits for an opportunity to get back on the field.”
“We have conceived the International Masters League as a meeting point of passionate fans and competitive cricketers. I am certain all players participating will get back into the groove and prepare hard. When we represent our countries, we all want to play top quality cricket and try to win.”
IML 2025 venues and captains confirmed
As many as six teams have been confirmed for the IML 2025 season. Each team will be led by former cricketers Sachin Tendulkar (India), Shane Watson (Australia), Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka), Brian Lara (West Indies), Jacques Kallis (South Africa) and Eoin Morgan (England).
The matches will be played between February 22 and March 16 across three different venues, namely the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot and the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.