BCCI, ECB unite to oppose ₹34,000 crore Saudi T20 league plans

Saudi Arabia is preparing to launch a major T20 cricket league backed by SRJ Sports Investments and the Public Investment Fund (PIF), with a proposed budget of $400 million (₹34,000 crore). The league aims to feature eight teams competing across four annual tournaments at global venues, resembling tennis’s Grand Slam format.

However, the initiative faces strong resistance from two of cricket's most powerful boards—the BCCI (India) and ECB (England). Both boards have agreed not to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to their contracted players for this league. This stance was reportedly finalised during the World Test Championship final at Lord’s. They also plan to lobby the International Cricket Council (ICC) to deny official recognition to the Saudi-backed competition to protect their own tournaments, including the IPL and The Hundred.

On the contrary, Cricket Australia (CA) has shown openness to collaborating with Saudi Arabia, viewing the proposed league as a financial opportunity. While BCCI and ECB are safeguarding their domestic leagues' dominance, CA remains focused on securing revenue, especially with full control over its Big Bash League (BBL) franchises.

The cricket landscape has been financially booming, with Cricket South Africa earning over £100 million from selling SA20 franchises to IPL owners, and the ECB recently selling a 49% stake in The Hundred for £520 million. The IPL alone is valued at over $12 billion.

Although the ICC is officially neutral, its close ties to BCCI—especially under current chairman Jay Shah—suggest that any Saudi-backed competition may face institutional hurdles. Still, the ICC has an ongoing four-year sponsorship agreement with Aramco, Saudi Arabia's oil giant, which complicates the scenario.