International Masters League

International T20 cricket tournament

Not to be confused with International League T20.

Cricket tournament

International Masters League

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 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 is a Twenty20 cricket tournament featuring cricketers who have retired or are close to retirement from the professional game.[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, on the premise that people would want to watch former international stars play Twenty20 cricket.[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 Professional Management Group in 1985, joining in 2023.[6] The cost of each franchise was reported as ₹10 crore (US$1.2 million) for the Indian franchise, and ₹5 crore (US$590,000) for the other teams.[7]

## Teams

[edit]

The following six teams took part in the 2025 edition of the tournament.[8]

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

## History

[edit]

Main article: 2025 International Masters League

The first edition of the tournament was scheduled to start in late 2024 but was rescheduled to 22 February to 16 March 2025,[9] owing, according to a press release, to the need to ensure "compliance with government protocols and legal requirements".[10] The tournament was won by India Masters, who beat West Indies Masters by six wickets in front of a capacity 50,000 crowd at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur.[11][12]

## Rules

[edit]

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.[9]

## Results

[edit]

Season  | Final  | 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 | [13]

## Performance record

[edit]

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

[edit]

Country | TV channels | Online Streaming | Ref

|
|
|

Australia  | —  | 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

[edit]

1. ^ 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.
2. ^ "Joe Denly to feature for England in International Masters League". Kent Cricket. 20 February 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
3. ^ "Inaugural Season Of International Masters League To Be Played From February 22 To March 16". NDTV Sports. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
4. ^ "Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar launch inaugural edition of International Masters League". The Times of India. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
5. ^ 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.""
6. ^ Chanda, Kathakali (10 October 2024). "There will always be market for premium cricket content: Venu Nair". Forbes India. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
7. ^ 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. ^ "IML 2025: Full schedule, format, teams and live streaming details". Business Standard.
9. ^ a b "International Masters League ropes in nine sponsors, partners for inaugural edition". The Economic Times. 21 February 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
10. ^ "IML pushed back to first quarter of next year". News Drum. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
11. ^ "Vintage Sachin wows fans as India Masters clinch inaugural IML title". Hindustan Times. 16 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
12. ^ "WATCH: Sachin Tendulkar evokes nostalgia of the 90s with stunning stroke play". Times of India. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
13. ^ "Sachin Tendulkar unleashes classic upper cut as India beat West Indies in IML final". India Today. 16 March 2025.
14. ^ 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.
15. ^ "International Masters League to onboard 9 brands as sponsors and partners". Business Standard.
16. ^ "Legends reunite: International Masters League unveils trophy ahead of inaugural season". Hindustan Times.