T10 League Season 2 to feature 8 teams; Karachians, Northern Warriors new entrants

T10 League, which has grown popular since its inaugural edition last year, will see eight teams playing for the title in its second edition in the United Arab Emirates in November-December. The league came up with its groupings and will comprise two more sides besides the six it had in the opening edition in the form of Karachians and Northern Warriors.

T10 League is the world’s first 10-over cricket league recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Last year, six teams were divided into two groups of three and Kerala Kings went on to win the trophy defeating Punjabi Legends in the final by 8 wickets. A total of 13 games were played in the inaugural edition.

Karachians in Group A; Northern Warriors in Group B

This year, two groups will see four teams each. While Group A comprises Kerala Kings, Karachians, Pakhtoon and Rajputs, Group B has Punjabi Legends, Bengal Tigers, Maratha Arabians and Northern Warriors. A number of celebrities from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will add to the league’s appeal and it will be watched live in more than 20 countries across the globe. T10 League was launched by T10 Sports Management to popularise the game in its shortest format. This is the fourth variant of the game of cricket after the Test, 50-over and 20-over formats.

“The T10 League is gaining ground with the formal recognition of the International Cricket Council and the interest shown by the stakeholders that encouraged us to add two new teams to the league,” Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, Chairman of T10 League and T10 Sports Management, was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s The Express Tribune.

“Today’s Team Draw is a testimony to the growing popularity of not only the T10 League — but also the game of cricket — which could now be played and in less than 90 minutes. I am pleased to announce the Team Draw led by last year’s Champions Kerala Kings and Runners-Up Punjabi Legends. This year’s T10 League will help expand and popularise the game of cricket further. We see this as a growing movement and I urge all to join this and help take the game further.”

Australian Shane Watson and West Indian Darren Sammy have joined Karachians and Northern Warriors as their respective icon players.

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