BBL in India?
Also in the newsletter: Jamaica returns to the CPL and must-reads on sports business
Good evening,
The Left Field is back after a two-and-a-half-week hiatus, and it has been anything but quiet. In that time, The State of Play broke its first global story, reporting exclusively on Avram Glazer’s $1.8 billion non-binding bid for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and revealing the full five-party shortlist for the Rajasthan Royals sale process.
We also completely rebuilt the State of Play website from scratch. Cleaner design, sharper typography, smoother navigation, and a far better subscriber experience. It feels like the product has finally caught up with the ambition. Take a look when you can.
That said, The Left Field is back, and will be a more regular drop.
Welcome to the midweek edition of The Left Field, a twice-weekly sports business newsletter from The State of Play. The newsletter lands on Mondays and Wednesdays between 5:30 and 6 pm IST and is free to read. Think of it as a short, desk briefing, written to be read in one sitting. Deeper reported stories and long-form analysis continue to live at The State of Play, published every Friday.
On that note, here’s today’s edition 👇🏽
The Signals
• Why Cricket Australia is eyeing BBL in India
Cricket Australia (CA) is exploring the idea of staging next season’s Big Bash League (BBL) opener in Chennai. Senior officials Phil Rigby and Margot Harley were recently in India to assess logistics, Australian outlet SEN reported.
Why India? The move comes as CA anticipates the sale of at least two BBL franchises, with an India game designed to boost commercial appeal and tap into cricket’s most lucrative market. India is also, by far, the largest overseas market for the BBL, whose 2023/24 edition drew 55 million viewers on the then-Star Sports network.
The venue play: Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium has emerged as the preferred option, with Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) officials confirming that discussions have taken place. However, TNCA noted that it cannot commit without the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) approval.
Prime candidate: If the fixture proceeds, BBL defending champions Perth Scorchers seem the logical choice given their favourable time zone and WACA’s openness to “offers from wealthy Indian business figures.”
The hurdles: The fixture requires approval from several stakeholders, including the BCCI and broadcasters, although no BBL clubs have yet been formally briefed. The BCCI, Sportstar reported, had “indicated to the TNCA to ‘slow-walk’ the discussions and not commit to anything to the CA executives.”
Interestingly timed: The report was released shortly after another Australian publication, The Age, revealed that the ICC is considering a contingency plan, whereby Australia could be viewed as “among alternative options to host cricket’s global events to be played in India between 2029 and 2031” amid increasing tensions in the subcontinent ahead of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
• PSL owner revives Jamaica’s CPL return
Kingsmen Sports Enterprise, the American group behind the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) new Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen franchise, has secured the rights to revive Jamaica’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise. The move brings top-flight T20 cricket back to the island after years of uncertainty.
Why it matters: Three-time champions Jamaica Tallawahs have been absent since 2023 after owner Kris Persaud sold the franchise back, citing a lack of government support. Last year, the GMR Group, co-owner of the Delhi Capitals, were also in talks to relaunch the franchise.
The playbook: Pakistan-born Houston businessman Fawad Sarwar’s FKS Group now owns franchises in the PSL, CPL, and Minor League Cricket (Chicago Kingsmen) in the US. Essentially, Sarwar is replicating the multi-league portfolio strategy pioneered by IPL owners.
What next? Sabina Park (in Kingston, Jamaica) will host four CPL matches in August-September 2026. The Jamaica franchise’s new name has not yet been confirmed, although the Kingsmen branding appears likely.
Teething problems: Meanwhile, PSL’s other expansion franchise, Sialkot Stallionz, is reportedly encountering early issues due to an ownership dispute between its lead owner and junior partner.
The Position
⛳ Teeing off: Leading Indian golfers drew strong bids from six franchises for the inaugural auction of the Professional Golf Tour of India’s 72 The League. Honey Basoiya, fresh off his win at the DP World Players Championship in New Delhi, was signed for Rs 20.5 lakh, while 21-year-old Shubham Jaglan fetched Rs 19 lakh.
⚽ Buying in: Serie A has acquired a 51% stake in fantasy sports platform Fantacalcio for €18 million. The deal is being financed with a loan that Fantacalcio will repay through its business operations. The platform has three million users and generated €9 million in revenue in 2025.
🌱 Trickling down: English cricket will channel £45 million ($61.05 million) into community facilities funded by proceeds from investment in The Hundred. The money is set to support grassroots infrastructure across the country.
The Stack
™️ Inside the world of football trademarks (The Athletic)
👕 Pastel skies, packed stands, and WhatsApp chats: In Colombo, cricket is everywhere again (ESPNCricinfo)
🥌 Team USA’s Newest Olympic Star is a Personal-Injury Attorney in his 50s (Wall Street Journal)
That’s about it for this Wednesday edition of The Left Field.
The State of Play will drop on Friday with the latest on the IPL sale processes 👀