The highly-anticipated International Masters League (IML) unveiled its magnificent trophy in the presence of the icons who will lead their respective teams in the inaugural edition. India’s cricket icon and Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar was joined by Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, West Indies maestro Brian Lara, England’s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan, Australia’s Shane Watson and South Africa’s Jonty Rhodes, who represented captain Jacques Kallis, at the Captains’ Day, which was held at the DY Patil University campus on Wednesday.

The IML is set to capture the imagination of cricket fans by providing a thrilling experience of high-octane action, featuring stalwarts of the sport.  India Masters and Sri Lanka Masters will play the opening fixture of the IML at the D.Y. Patil Stadium on Saturday, February 22.

Sachin Tendulkar, captain of India Masters, said, “Stepping back onto the cricket field is like returning to the place that has given me my identity as a sportsperson. Reuniting with my former teammates and peers, reliving our experiences, and sharing our cherished memories is truly special. I am as excited today as I was on the day of my debut to represent our country, and I have no doubt that every player shares the same passion to play the game we all love, once again.”

Brian Lara, captain of West Indies Masters: “I’m truly excited to be back in India, a country that has always felt like a second home to me. Its vibrant culture and the passion of its diverse fans make playing here an unforgettable experience. Taking the field once again with old friends in the International Masters League is something I deeply look forward to, and I can’t wait to reignite some of our fabled rivalries. The stage is set, the energy is electric, and I’m ready for the action!”

Kumar Sangakkara, captain of Sri Lanka Masters: “I’m delighted to be part of this incredible competition. Cricket is a huge part of my life, and having the chance to play alongside some of the greatest ambassadors of the game makes the IML even more special. I can’t wait for that opening match against India Masters-it’s going to be a fantastic contest!”

Shane Watson, captain of Australia Masters, said: “India has always been one of my favourite countries, and the love and support I’ve received here is second to none. I’m really chuffed to be playing in the International Masters League, sharing the field once again with friends and old colleagues. It’s going to be a riveting contest, and I know India will be a tough opponent-but we’ve got a strong squad, and we’re ready for the challenge!”

Eoin Morgan, captain of England Masters, said: “The International Masters League is going to be an exciting tournament, and I can’t wait to regroup with the boys and get back out there. India is a cricket-loving nation where fans truly worship the game, making it the perfect place for a tournament like this one. I’ve been training hard to ensure we deliver the goods, and fingers crossed for a great outing!”

Jonty Rhodes (Representing Jacques Kallis for South Africa Masters), said, “It’s no secret how special India is to me. Playing here has always been an incredible experience, and I’m thrilled to be back for the International Masters League. We’ve assembled a strong squad, and I’m confident we’ll have a fantastic time. This will be a truly special competition, and while we’re hoping for the best results, I am excited to be back on the field!”

The unveiling of the International Masters League trophy symbolizes the commencement of a cricketing spectacle that will celebrate the rich legacy of the sport.

It was announced during the Captains’ Day that entry for students and senior citizens to the stadium for the opening game was free. _Students would have to present a valid ID card from their current college or university, while senior citizens would have to carry a government-issued senior citizen card. Entry will be denied at the gate if a valid and authentic ID proof is not provided.

Match tickets are available on BookMyShow, the ticketing partner.

Watch the IML February 22nd onwards, live on JioHotstar along with Colors Cineplex (SD & HD) and Colors Cineplex Superhits will broadcast the IML live, 7.30 pm onwards.

India will be the “favourites” to win the Champions Trophy despite the absence of ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, believe former players Eoin Morgan and Shane Watson. A vital cog in India’s title winning campaign in last year’s T20 World Cup, Bumrah will miss the eight-team Champions Trophy which got underway on Thursday, but both Morgan and Watson believe Rohit Sharma’s team has the necessary firepower to win the title. “To do the runners and riders, the side that’s the front-runner, best positioned across the squads, I would say India… out and out favourites,” Morgan said during the International Masters League’s Captain’s Day event here on Wednesday.

“I can’t really pick any holes in their side. I know that’s been the case the last couple of tournaments they’ve gone into. Finally, (at) Ahmedabad, where Australia picked them, and then the T20 (World Cup) win, where they robbed the trophy out of the South African hands.

“You have to still believe that winning trophies and tasting champagne brings confidence, because once you’ve been there, you can believe that you can do it again, so that’s why India are the favourites,” added Morgan.

Watson said Hardik Pandya’s return to the ODI mix bolsters India.

“When it comes to the favourites, it has to be India. They have got bolstered with Hardik Pandya coming in as that fast bowling all-rounder,” he said.

“Unfortunately, they don’t have Jasprit Bumrah, but it’s just about the identical squad to what they had in the last one-day World Cup where they dominated up until the final,” he added.

Watson said Australian teams “know how to turn up in big tournaments” even though they will be without regular skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

“I’m very confident with the Aussies. Their batting is very, very strong. (With) their bowling, there’s going to be a few question marks around that, but they certainly know how to turn up in big tournaments,” said the former Australia vice-captain.

Morgan said the winner between Australia and England in their campaign opener could get on a roll with a positive outcome.

“Outside this, (teams) that are a chance, I never ruled Pakistan out of it, the conditions will favour them,” Morgan said.

“I would say England are an outside chance as well. They’ve been in not great form for a period of time. Brendon McCullum has just taken over. In a short space of time, it’s hard to achieve anything.

“They (England) play Australia on Saturday, who are a side without Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood. I imagine whoever out of those two sides wins, or I think England will, could go on a bit of a roll,” Morgan added.

“Mother cricket always pays you back”

Legendary Kumar Sangakkara, who will lead Sri Lanka Masters, recalled the night when India beat his team to win the ODI World Cup and said “mother cricket always pays you back”.

“The 2011 World Cup… the journey was incredible. We fell short again, but it just goes to show the amount of service that Sachin has done to the game,” he said.

“You know, mother cricket always pays you back and for him to be in that last World Cup and win the trophy, no matter how much heartbreak we had as Sri Lankans, that was an incredibly deserving end to what was an incredible career in every format he played,” Sangakkara added.

West Indies’ Masters captain Brian Lara said a tournament like IML — which will have six teams of former players from India, England, Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies and South Africa competing — should have been in place long ago.

“It’s the sort of tournament that should have been around a very long time ago, I see that it’s going to have legs for some time,” he said.

Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar said, “If someone had told me in 1990, (and) Brian, that 35 years down the line, you’re still playing against each other, we would not have believed and that is what this competition is all about.” 

Eoin Morgan was part of the last opposing team to win a Test series in India.© BCCI

Following England’s second successive loss to Australia in the five-match ODI series, former World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan said that right-handed batter Harry Brook’s captaincy is a “baptism of fire”. The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 champions, Australia, defeated hosts England by 68 runs in the second match of the series at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday, continuing their winning streak in ODI cricket with their 14th consecutive victory. Morgan pointed out that one of the positive aspects from the second match was the Three Lions’ batting.

“I think the positives from Trent Bridge would have been the batting. Both Ben Duckett and Will Jacks, the partnership they formed, provided a good platform and a forward-facing, commanding score against a strong Australia side. Today, the positives are probably with the ball,” Morgan said while speaking to Sky Sports.

“They weren’t as consistent as Australia would have been if they had bowled first, but that comes with experience, consistency, and skill–traits exhibited by two different sides at different stages of their development. It is a baptism of fire for Brook at the moment, with some heavy defeats against a very strong side,” he added.

The 38-year-old concluded by saying that the England side will likely look entirely different for either the India tour or the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy next year.

“If you consider the timeline for player selection, the ODI side could have a new look for something like an India tour or the Champions Trophy. You could have the likes of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Joe Root back in the mix. So, for these younger, inexperienced players, it’s important to make your mark in this series and the upcoming West Indies series, as opportunities may be scarce in the new year and heading into the Champions Trophy,” Morgan concluded.

At Headingley on Saturday, England appeared to be in control after reducing Australia to 89/3, but skipper Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey hit vital half-centuries for the visitors.

Carey’s fighting knock of 74 off 67 balls, along with a crucial 49-run stand for the final wicket with Josh Hazlewood, helped Australia recover and post 270 from a precarious position.

In response, the Australian pacers dominated England’s top order, reducing them to 65/5 before Jamie Smith, Jacob Bethell, and the lower order rallied to take the team to a respectable total. The next ODI will be held at Chester-le-Street on September 24, with Australia aiming to claim the No. 1 ranking in men’s ODIs.

India’s remarkable reservoir of talent and formidable depth within their squad makes them strong contenders to win the upcoming T20 World Cup, feels former England skipper Eoin Morgan. India have gone with almost the same squad as they had in the last edition of the T20 World Cup while adding the likes of young Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal and Sanju Samson. “The strongest side even with injuries throughout the tournament is India. Their strength and depth is absolutely incredible,” Morgan said on Sky Sports.

“And it’s almost probably, we’re talking about who the players that were missed out in their squad of 15 because of the quality that they possess.

“They are favourites for me, the quality they have on paper, if they produce it I think they can beat anybody quite well in the tournament,” he added.

India were spoilt for choice as they were forced to leave the likes of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul.

“The only decision I would have had differently and if I was selecting the squad, I would have Shubman Gill over Yashasvi Jaiswal. I have played alongside him, I know how he thinks. I know how he works.

“I feel he’s a future leader within that side and I think in big moments, in World Cups the more leaders the better. Even if he’s sitting on the sideline, you still need inspiration from here and there, a sense of positivity.” India head into almost every tournament as favourites but they haven’t won an ICC title in over a decade. The last trophy the ‘Men in Blue’ lifted was the Champions Trophy in 2013.

In the last edition of the T20 World Cup they were hammered by 10 wickets by eventual winners England in the semifinals in Adelaide.

“I think they can (win), because they have go to a stage now where Adelaide would hurt, recently losing the (ODI) World Cup at home to Australia in front of 1,25,000 Indian fans.

“The spinner will come into the game, the level of batsmanship will come into the game if the wickets slow down like we think. But also that excellence in power hitting is the point of difference for me. Shivam Dube has to play,I think he’ll set this World Cup alight.

Irony that only time India won T20 WC was pre-IPL: Atherton

Many argue that India’s cricket in T20 format has improved by leaps and bounds since the advent of the IPL.

But former England captain Michael Atherton pointed out that it ironical that the only time India won the T20 World Cup was before the IPL came into being.

“It’s also an irony, because everyone talks about the IPL and how it has improved India’s T20 cricket. The irony is that the only time they have won is pre IPL,” Atherton said.

India were the first T20 World Cup winners in 2007. Under the captaincy of the talismanic Mahendra Singh Dhoni, they had beaten arch-rivals Pakistan.

Indian cricket team star batter Virat Kohli© AFP