Legends League Cricket: A Remarkable Journey from Concept to Legacy

The Legend’s League Cricket has recently created quite a stir on social media. The internet is abuzz about it as the league returned after a year-long hiatus. People have been thrilled to see their favorite heroes battle for glory on the field. Players who have been a part of their earlier lives turn back the clock as they take it to the ground and leave it all there.

This year’s Legends League Cricket witnessed six teams jampacked with stars from around the globe. However, before we get into the details of the tournament and the grand finale that took place in Surat, Gujarat, let’s take a step back to look at the entire journey of this league, from its inception as a three-team tournament to the recent hype, every aspect of this tournament has a story of its own. So, without further ado, let’s dive into it.

Conception Amid Chaos

In the tumultuous year of 2021, a cricketing revolution was born – the Legends League Cricket (LLC). Emerging from the aftermath of a global pandemic, the LLC was not just another addition to the plethora of T20 leagues worldwide; it was a beacon that reignited the flame of cricketing nostalgia.

The LLC didn’t emerge spontaneously; it was a carefully calculated response to the yearning of cricket enthusiasts worldwide. Visionaries Raman Raheja and Vivek Khushalani orchestrated this cricketing symphony, identifying a gap in the post-pandemic cricketing landscape. Their mission was to bring back the beloved legends who had, for years, enchanted fans with their on-field exploits.

Crafting the LLC wasn’t just about creating a league but about fashioning an experience. Raheja and Khushalani, driven by a shared passion, meticulously structured the tournament. Their vision promised entertaining matches, financial viability, and sustainable growth.

Legends Reawakened

At the core of the LLC’s charm were the legendary players who once again graced the field. Convincing these cricketing icons to return wasn’t a mere transaction; it was a delicate dance between financial incentives and a compelling argument that the LLC was more than just an exhibition league.

From the swashbuckling Virender Sehwag and the ever-reliable Jacques Kallis to the enigmatic Harbhajan Singh and the fiery Brett Lee, the LLC roster reads like a “Who’s Who” of cricketing legends. Their presence alone guaranteed a spectacle, a chance to witness history unfold again.

Different formats to pave the way

In January 2022, Legends League Cricket was launched in a global format called “LLC Masters”, featuring only three teams. 

The first team was named as Indian Maharajas. As the name suggests, this team featured only Indian cricketing legends. The second team was Asian Lions, which featured other players from Asian countries. Meanwhile, World Giants was cluttered with international cricketing stars from outside the borders of Asia. The tournament was held at Oman Cricket Academy in Muscat, where World Giant won the final against Asia Lions.

The second season of “LLC Masters” was held in Doha, Qatar, in March 2023. In this season, Asia Lions took their revenge on the World Giants by defeating them by seven wickets to win the title.

LLC Franchise Tournament

Following the super success of the inaugural season of the Masters format, the T20 Legends League Cricket was launched in a franchise format in the same year, and it was nothing short of electrifying. 

The LLC managed to captivate audiences globally in a cricketing landscape saturated with T20 leagues. Starved for a glimpse of their cricketing heroes, fans welcomed the league with open arms. Social media buzzed with excitement, TV channels vied for coverage rights, and stadiums braced themselves for a wave of nostalgia.

As it turned out, the first season lived up to expectations and more. The iconic Eden Gardens reverberated with cheers as the Indian Maharajas clashed with the World Giants in a thrilling exhibition match, which marked the start of this league. 

In the league format of the tournament, four teams featured upfront. First was the Bhilwara Kings, which Irfan Pathan captained. Followed by Gujarat Giants, which saw Parthiv Patel as its leader. Indian Capitals had Gautam Gambhir at the helm, and the fourth team, Manipal Tigers, had Harbhajan Singh in a leadership role.

The first season saw a total of 15 matches being played across different cities of India. From Kolkata to Delhi, then to Lucknow, the tournament moved into smaller towns of Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, and Jaipur. The reception and turnout of the crowd in these stadiums was immense.

The final of the tournament was played in Jaipur, where Indian Capitals clashed with Bhilwara Kings and managed to emerge victorious as well. Capitals defeated the Kings by a margin of 104 runs. Ross Taylor of the Capitals was named as player of the match for his inning of 82 runs, while Yusuf Pathan was awarded the player of the series award.

LLC got bigger and better in the second season, held from 18 November to 09 December 2023, as it saw the addition of two new teams. Southern Super Stars captained Ross Taylor, and Urbanrisers Hyderabad, led by Suresh Raina, immediately impacted the tournament. Hyderabad managed to reach the final as well.

This time, the tournament traveled to the smaller towns, starting from Ranchi to Dehradun, Jammu, Vishakapattnam, and finally to Surat. The playoffs were held in the Surat leg of the tournament, and it received a wild reception from the crowd.

Raman Raheja’s vision with LLC

It doesn’t surprise anyone that the CEO and Co-founder of Legends League Cricket is a visionary man. His vision has transcended reality and turned into a bright dream millions worldwide are enjoying. 

In a recent interview with Adgully, Raheja opened up about his idea behind the Legends League Cricket. He said, “We’re trying to mirror the way active cricket is played. Cricket is played in two forms these days. The cricketers play for their country, or the cricketers play for the clubs. Legends League Cricket has two formats, which are exactly the replicas of active cricket. We have LLC Masters, where the cricketers play for their country. This tournament is held outside India.”

Furthermore, he wants to use this league as a medium to bring cricket to cities and towns that are deprived of international cricket. “we will be traveling to the smaller towns, starting from Ranchi, we will go to Dehradun, Jammu, Vishakapattnam and finally to Surat. Of these five cities, three have not seen any international cricket, at least for 30 years. For instance, international cricket is returning to Jammu after 30 years; Dehradun has not seen any India-related international cricket, while Surat has not seen international cricket at all,” Raheja was quoted saying ahead of the LLC Franchise tournament’s second season.

Raheja used a brilliant strategy to bring his league to the center of attention. Before the start of the second season of the LLC tournament, he paired up with Indian Railways and used the Vande Bharat train as a platform to take his league to different states of India. 

The train was boarded by some of the biggest names in the sport, like Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Kevin Pietersen, Jhulan Goswami, and more. These national and international stars traveled across the five major railway zones: North, South, Central, East, and West.

Stars descend on Surat’s soil

For a city deprived of cricketing action, let alone international cricket, this was the first opportunity to watch their favorite stars up close. And the fans made the most of it during the four matches of the playoffs. 

The first match of this stage of the game was played as a qualifier between Urbanrisers Hyderabad and Manipal Tigers, witnessing some of the league’s biggest stars. 

Hyderabad’s squad was stacked with stars from Kiwi opener Martin Guptill to South African bowler Morne Morel and CSK legends like Dwayne Smith and Suresh Raina. However, Manipur was not far behind either. They had many Indian legends, from their captains Harbhajan Singh and Mohammad Kaif to Robin Uthappa, S Badrinath, and Pravin Kumar. 

First Qualifier

Urbanrisers managed to get the best of their opposition in the first qualifier. They defeated the Tigers by a hefty margin of 75 runs. The game was one of the highest-scoring encounters in the tournament, as it saw a total of 431 runs being scored.

Dwayne Smith was in charge of Hyderbad’s inning as the Windies opener smashed a staggering 120-run knock from just 53 balls. His inning comprised 14 fours and 7 sixes that kept the crowd on their toes and quenched their thirst for fast-paced action.

The target was too big for the Tigers to chase, and they faltered. They managed only 178 runs before getting bundled in the 17th over of the game.

Eliminator

Gujarat Giants’ Eliminator vs Indian Capitals was perhaps the most anticipated game of the Surat leg of the tournament. The reason behind this was the presence of Chris Gayle, the “Universe Boss.” One of the biggest names in the game, let alone T20 cricket, was going to be in action on the SDCA cricket ground, and people couldn’t keep calm about it.

The Universe boss didn’t disappoint his fans. In the second inning, while chasing a massive total of 224, Gayle owned the night. He smashed the bowler in all parts of the ground to bring up another fifty in his long and illustrious T20 career. 

His knock of 89 runs from 55 lit the night in Surat. He launched four sixes and nine fours in his inning to help his team get closer to the massive target. However, they could not get over the line and lost by a bare margin of 12 runs.

This win against the Giants enabled Indian Capitals to set up a playdate against Manipal Tigers in the qualifier 2. The Capitals had a star-laden lineup of their own. With Gautam Gambhir as their captain, Hashim Alma of South Africa, and England’s Pietersen being some of the prominent names.

Second Qualifier

After their amazing performance against the Giants, they entered the contest against the Tigers as the fan’s favorite. The crowd had gathered to witness another blitz by Gautam Gambhir, the former Indian captain and opener. 

He had scored a fifty in the previous game but could not repeat his feat. As a result, his team could only post 177 runs on the board, courtesy of a fifty by Pietersen. Manipal Tigers made a mockery of the chase as they reached the target with 8 balls to spare.

Final

Hence, the stage was set for a rematch between Manipal Tigers and Urbanrisers Hyderabad. Winning the toss, they once again invited Hyderabad to bat first, and they managed to post a good total of 187 in their 20 overs. Rikki Clarke was the pick of batters for Urbanrisers as he scored a blistering 80 off 52 and was accompanied by Gurkeerat Singh, who scored a 36-ball 64.

Manipal Tigers learned from their mistake from the previous night. This time, they came out all guns blazing from the word go. Robin Uthappa gave his side a quick start with a 27-ball 40. The Sri Lankan trio of Angelo Parera, Gunaratne, and Thisara Parera put the match to bed. They scored 30, 51, and 25, respectively, to put their team within touching distance of victory.

The icing on the cake was applied by Colin de Grandhomme, who smashed his first ball of the inning into the crowd to help his team win their first T20 Legends League Cricket title. Following this, the SDCA stadium erupted in loud cheers of joy and jubilation. 

The competitive spirit and the sheer joy on players’ and fans’ faces were a testament to the LLC’s success in creating an unforgettable experience.