PANAJI
Football is the state sport of Goa. Even though cricket may not be as big as football in the tiny state, cricket has its own fan following. In fact, international cricket has not happened in Goa since 2010.
So, when a legends cricket involving 90 legendary cricketers happens in the state, there is bound to be a lot of buzz and excitement among the Goan cricketing fraternity.
“Goa as a destination does not get to see world-class cricket either in India or IPL. People love coming to Goa only for holidays. They are enjoying it over here. We wanted to get world-class cricket to Goa and I think we made the right choice, “ said Mahesh Bhupathi, CEO of SG Sports and Entertainment (SGSE), the man behind in getting the league to the state.
“There is a big opportunity for Goa in terms of sports tourism. Hopefully, this event is a start for bigger sports events in Goa, “ Bhupathi added.
The tennis legend further went on to add, “We have some of the greatest cricketers who have played the game and have come to Goa. We are very excited. Legends who have retired are playing in this league. 90 players, one destination. City is buzzing. The response so far has been very positive. I am very happy with that. We want to keep the league in Goa for few years and grow it every year.”
The inaugural edition of the World Legends Pro T20 League 2026 is being held at the newly-built 1919 Sportz Cricket Stadium, Verna from January 26 - February 4. The tournament has brought a lot of nostalgia, star power and high-voltage cricket to Goan shores.
The league features 18 matches involving six franchises - Delhi Warriors, Dubai Royals, Rajasthan Lions, Pune Panthers, Gurugram Thunders and Maharashtra Tycoons.
Top-class international cricketers who have retired from the game for their country like Chris Gayle, Dale Steyn, Kieron Pollard, Eoin Morgan, Alister Cook, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan and Dinesh Karthik are among the 90 players participating in the tournament.
The league is Bhupathi’s brainchild. He threw some light on the idea behind the league.
“There was a wide space because there was no legends league that happened in 2024 in India. So, we felt that there was an opportunity. Our group comes from a very corporate background and sport is something which is growing. And, for doing anything big in sports, cricket is very important. We believe for the next few years this will become a single big event,” Bhupathi said.
“It was not very difficult to get the players. We could convince them very easily. There was an auction that happened in Delhi for this league. Getting the players and auction was a smooth process,” he added.
According to Bhupathi, the entire process took one year of planning from finalizing the venue, getting the players, franchises, auctioning, support from Goa government and other logistical aspects.
