International Masters League
| File:International Masters League.png | |
| Administrator | Professional Management Group |
|---|---|
| Format | Twenty20 |
| First Edition | 2025 |
| Latest Edition | 2025 |
| Tournament format | Round robin tournament and final |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| Current champion | India Masters (1st title) |
| Most successful | India Masters (1 title) |
| Most runs | Shane Watson (361) (Australia Masters) |
| Most wickets | Xavier Doherty (10) (Australia Masters) Ashley Nurse (10) (West Indies Masters) |
| TV | List of broadcasters |
The International Masters League (IML) is a T20 cricket tournament featuring well-known cricketers either retired in full or from international competition.[1][2] The inaugural season happened in 2025 with six teams taking part.[3] The league was co-founded by retired Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar, based on perceived demand from fans to watch former international stars play the burgeoning T20 format.[4][5] They partnered with sports management company Professional Management Group and global sports marketing firm Sportfive. According to the president-global cricket of Sportfive, the idea originated with Tendulkar around 2022, with Gavaskar, who had founded PMG in 1985 joining in 2023, having approached them looking for opportunities to attract investment into cricket.[6] The cost of each franchise was reported as 10 crore (100 million) rupees for the Indian franchise, and 5 crore for the other five teams.[7]
The first edition of the tournament was scheduled to start in late 2024 but was rescheduled to February 2025,[8] owing, according to a press release from the IML, to the need to ensure "compliance with government protocols and legal requirements".[9] Simon Taufel was appointed head of the umpiring team, while Gundappa Viswanath, one of India's leading batsmen from the 1970s, was match referee.[8] The tournament was won in the 16 March final by India Masters, who convincingly beat West Indies Masters by 6 wickets in front of a capacity 50,000 crowd at the SVNS International Cricket Stadium in Raipur.[10][11]
Teams
The following six teams took part in the 2025 edition of the tournament.[12]
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| Team | Captain |
|---|---|
| Australia Masters | Shane Watson |
| England Masters | Eoin Morgan |
| India Masters | Sachin Tendulkar |
| South Africa Masters | Jacques Kallis |
| Sri Lanka Masters | Kumar Sangakkara |
| West Indies Masters | Brian Lara |
Rules
The rules are slightly different to regular T20. The free hit rule has been changed to prevent the batting side from scoring runs if the batter is bowled or caught off a free hit delivery. There is no impact player rule or mid-over stop clock rule.[8]
Results
| Season | Final | Player of the series | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winners | Result | Runners-up | Venue | |||
| 2025 | India Masters 149/4 (17.1 overs) |
India Masters won by 6 wickets Scorecard |
West Indies Masters 148/7 (20 overs) |
SVNS International Cricket Stadium, Raipur | Not awarded | [13] |
Performance record
Seasons Teams |
2025 |
|---|---|
| Australia Masters | 4th |
| England Masters | 6th |
| India Masters | C |
| South Africa Masters | 5th |
| Sri Lanka Masters | 3rd |
| West Indies Masters | RU |
Broadcasters
| Country | TV channels | Online Streaming | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
 Australia
|
N/A | 7plus | [14] |
 India
|
Colors Cineplex Colors Cineplex Superhits |
JioHotstar | [15] |
 Sri Lanka
|
Colors Cineplex Monara TV Peo Sports 1 Peo Sports 1 HD ThePapare 1 ThePapare 1 HD |
Dialog ViU Peo Mobile |
[16] |
References
- ↑ Sportstar, Team (2025-02-22). "International Masters League 2025: When and where to watch, telecast, live streaming info; Full schedule and squads". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
- ↑ "Joe Denly to feature for England in International Masters League". Kent Cricket. 20 February 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ↑ "Inaugural Season Of International Masters League To Be Played From February 22 To March 16". NDTV Sports. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ↑ "Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar launch inaugural edition of International Masters League". The Times of India. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
- ↑ Rubio Salgero, David (1 October 2024). "Cricket stars to return for inaugural International Masters League". Inside the Games. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
Speaking about the International Masters League, Sachin Tendulkar said, "Cricket continues to grow in popularity not only in India, but across the world. Over the last decade, T20 cricket has accelerated its growth and attracted new fans to the game. There is now a strong desire among fans of all ages to relive old battles in newer formats."
- ↑ Chanda, Kathakali (10 October 2024). "There will always be market for premium cricket content: Venu Nair". Forbes India. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
- ↑ Farooqui, Javed (9 October 2024). "Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar cos join team to launch Masters Cricket League". The Economic Times. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "International Masters League ropes in nine sponsors, partners for inaugural edition". The Economic Times. 21 February 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
- ↑ "IML pushed back to first quarter of next year". News Drum. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ↑ "Vintage Sachin wows fans as India Masters clinch inaugural IML title". Hindustan Times. 16 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ↑ "WATCH: Sachin Tendulkar evokes nostalgia of the 90s with stunning stroke play". Times of India. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ↑ "IML 2025: Full schedule, format, teams and live streaming details". Business Standard.
- ↑ "Sachin Tendulkar unleashes classic upper cut as India beat West Indies in IML final". India Today. 16 March 2025.
- ↑ Bhattacharjee, Sushruta (12 March 2025). "England Masters vs Australia Masters Live Streaming, IML 2025: How to Watch IML Live Telecast on TV and Online". myKhel. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ↑ "International Masters League to onboard 9 brands as sponsors and partners". Business Standard.
- ↑ "Legends reunite: International Masters League unveils trophy ahead of inaugural season". Hindustan Times.
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