Legends League Cricket: Cricketing icons aim to roll back the years as second edition gets underway in Kolkata

A
special
benefit
match
between
India
Maharajas
and
Team
World
Giants
will
kick-start
the
much-awaited
season
of
the
league
in
India
for
the
first
time
in
Kolkata
on
September
16.

Former
Sri
Lankan
spin
wizard
Muralitharan,
who
will
be
representing
Manipal
Tigers,
said
in
a
press
interaction
in
Kolkata
on
Thursday
that
he
will
be
aiming
to
roll
back
the
years
when
he
takes
the
field
for
his
team.

“After
a
long
time,
we
are
going
to
play
and
the
feeling
of
coming
back
to
a
tournament
is
pulsating
for
us.
As
former
cricketers,
we
miss
cricket
and
miss
the
feeling
of
playing
amidst
the
hooting
and
cheering.
I
hope
it
becomes
an
annual
event
for
everyone
so
that
the
younger
lot
not
only
enjoys
watching
contemporary
cricketers
but
also
gets
to
watch
the
former
cricketers
and
legends
entertain
them,”
the
once-dreaded
off-spinner
said.

With
90
cricketing
greats
in
action
the
league
will
take
part
in
16
matches
including
the
benefit
match.

Some
of
the
top
names
who
would
be
gracing
the
tournament
with
their
presence
are
Virender
Sehwag,
Gautam
Gambhir,
Harbhajan
Singh,
Muttiah
Muralitharan,
Jacques
Kallis,
Chris
Gayle,
and
Brett
Lee
among
others.

For
former
India
speedster
S
Sreesanth,
who
turned
39
earlier
this
year,
he
said
age
is
just
a
number.
Sreesanth
will
play
for
LNJ
Bhilwara
Kings.

“Age
is
just
a
number
for
me.
It
feels
good
to
be
a
part
of
the
Legends
League.
Giving
such
opportunities
to
players
like
us
is
a
commendable
effort
made
by
Legends
League
Cricket.
It
is
great
to
be
back
in
the
circle.
It
feels
like
Kolkata’s
Eden
Garden
was
waiting
for
us
to
come
back.
I
am
really
excited
to
be
part
of
the
league
and
be
back
in
the
game;
not
just
that,
I
am
grateful
that
we
have
such
a
wonderful
team
here,”
explained
the
two
times
World
Cup
winning
cricketer.

The
proceeds
of
the
benefit
match
will
be
given
to
Kapil
Dev’s
Khushii
Foundation,
which
supports
girl
child
education.

Manipal
Tigers
and
Bhilwara
Kings
are
the
other
two
franchises
in
the
four-team
league.

Former
New
Zealand
left-arm
spinner
Daniel
Vettori
also
couldn’t
contain
his
excitement.
“We
have
come
together
after
a
long
time.
I
think
some
cricketers
will
have
opportunities
to
get
together
and
remember
us.
We
will
try
to
put
on
a
good
show
and
feel
the
heat
of
our
comeback.
We
will
try
to
perform
together
and
that
I
feel
is
more
important
than
anything
else,”
Vettori
said.

India
Capitals’ Liam
Plunkett,
who
played
in
the
2016
T20
World
Cup
final
for
England
in
Kolkata’s
Eden
Gardens,
is
thrilled
to
be
a
part
of
this
cricketing
carnival.
“All
of
us
are
excited
to
be
part
of
this
setup.
Some
of
my
idols
are
going
to
be
part
of
Legends
League
Cricket
and
I
am
looking
forward
to
it,”
Plunkett
said.

Sehwag
will
once
again
be
in
action
when
his
Gujarat
Giants
lock
horns
with
Gautam
Gambhir’s
India
Capitals
in
the
league
opener
at
Eden
Gardens
here
on
Saturday
(September
17).

The
league
will
feature
all
women
umpires
in
a
first
of
its
kind
initiative
in
India.

Vivek
Khushalani,
Founder
&
Chairman,
Legends
League
Cricket,
said,
“We
are
dedicating
tomorrow’s
game
to
75
years
of
India’s
independence
‘Azaadi
ka
Mahotsav’
and
to
girl
child
education
and
women
empowerment.
We
have
an
all-women
umpiring
team
and
match
officials.
This
is
probably
the
first
time
in
the
history
of
cricket
that
we
will
be
having
only
women
match
officials
and
all
of
them
are
ICC-empanelled,”
Khushalani
said.

Raman
Raheja,
Co-founder
and
CEO
of
the
league,
said
that
he
feels
proud
that
Legends
League
Cricket
could
bring
together
90
cricketing
greats
in
the
city
of
Kolkata
at
one
single
point
in
time.

“It
is
for
the
first
time
that
about
90
cricketing
legends
have
come
to
Kolkata.
In
the
history
of
cricket,
you
wouldn’t
have
seen
so
many
legends
coming
to
one
single
city.
Kolkata
may
have
hosted
the
World
Cup,
IPL
and
all
other
big-ticket
matches
but
bringing
90
legends
together
in
one
single
city
at
one
point
in
time
is
a
first.
Kolkata
is
the
home
of
Indian
cricket.
So
it
was
a
privilege
for
us
to
start
the
league
in
India
here
and
dedicate
it
to
75
years
of
India’s
independence.
Another
important
part
is
that
our
90
legends
have
pledged
their
support
to
girl
child
education
and
women
empowerment,” Raheja
said.

The
CEO
also
added
that
the
first
edition
of
Legends
League
Cricket
was
the
most-watched
event
after
IPL.
“The
first
edition
of
the
league
held
in
Oman
was
the
most
watched
league
after
IPL
in
terms
of
viewership
and
reach.
So
we
expect
the
number
to
grow
in
our
bid
to
promote
cricket,”
said
Raheja.

Vivek
Khushalani
also
informed
that
the
league
will
add
two
more
teams
from
next
season
onwards.
“This
is
just
the
start.
Next
year,
we
will
add
two
more
franchises.
So
in
2023,
we
will
have
six
franchises
playing
in
the
tournament.
But
it
will
never
go
beyond
six,” he
said.

With
Disney
Star
being
the
official
broadcasters,
the
legends
can
be
seen
in
action
live
on
Star
Sports
Network
as
well
as
streamed
on
Disney+Hotstar
in
four
languages-English,
Hindi,
Tamil
and
Telugu.

Source:
Media
Release