Legends International T20 trophy unveiled

Even as the dust is yet to settle on the World Championship of Legends 2024, comes the announcement of a tournament where the stars of yesteryears will again take field.

The Legends Intercontinental T20 (LIT20) is set to be held from August 16 to 28 at the Moosa Stadium in Texas, United States of America.

The unveiling of the tournament’s trophy took place in the Capital’s Aerocity on Friday.

“Stars from various continents will showcase their skill and passion for the game. Seven teams — Indo Kings, Asian Avengers, Euro Rangers, American Mavericks, Trans-Tasman Titans, African Lions, and Caribbean Vikings — featuring icons from across the globe, will compete for the coveted trophy in the inaugural season in the USA,” said a statement from the tournament organisers.

Arun Pandey, the COO and Chairman of the league, told www.thedelhijunction.com, “This will give opportunity to the former players to once again showcase their skills to the public. The tournament will also provide the crowd with a glimpse of their former cricketing heroes and create a bit of nostalgia.”

The tournament, which will feature 24 matches, will be held at Moosa Stadium, where regular cricket has been played.

Unlike the stadia in USA used for the T20 World Cup, where the pitches were unused, this ground has been hosting matches on a regular basis, added Pandey.

The likes of Brett Lee and Graeme Swann are likely to feature in the tournament.

“We have created a separate Indian team – Indo Kings – different from an Asian team, called Asian Avengers, because the number of players in India is massive. The Asian Avengers will include players from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal,” said Pandey.

He also said that the USA market is huge for cricket with all the ‘desis’ thronging the games as was proved by the recent T20 World Cup.

Former India under-19 pace bowler Pradeep Sangwan, who has represented Delhi for a long time in domestic cricket, said, “This is an excellent opportunity for all those who still have competitive cricket in them and are not getting the chance to play.”

As is the case with most leagues being played abroad, any current Indian player wanting to play it will have to retire from Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) cricket to feature in it.

The management of LIT20 engaged in a discussion on supporting sustainability practices.

Pandey presented small plants to the guests as a gesture to mark LIT20's commitment to going green. An array of green initiatives will be officially launched in the lead-up to the inaugural edition.

Tags : Legends International T20, Cricket, Pradeep Sangwan, Brett Lee, Delhi, Texas, USA