Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to set up the world’s richest T20 league. There have been speculations that Indian cricketers would feature in the league, but a BCCI official has quashed this possibility. He confirmed that the board has a policy in place and will stick to it. Over the past few years, T20 franchise cricket has gained popularity in the Gulf region. Meanwhile, the IPL season is on and the Rajasthan Royals are currently at the top position with three wins from four games.
The authorities in Saudi Arabia are already in talks with IPL owners about the T20 league. Given their advance into sport more generally, cricket would work quite well for Saudi Arabia. They’re pretty keen to invest in sport, and given their regional presence, cricket would seem a pretty obvious one to pursue. The rise of T20 franchise cricket in the Gulf region has been massive in recent years. The cricket fervour has peaked among fans as the IPL season is on, and there have been a few nail-biters in the two weeks of the cash-rich league already. With a win over the Punjab Kings, the Gujarat Titans find themselves in third place with three wins in four games.
