The Big Bash League and the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) are looking to sign more Indian players for the upcoming season in an attempt to increase their audience. India is believed to be a key market for world cricket and the same is true here as well.
Previously, some big names in Indian cricket like Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh and Poonam Yadav have played in the WBBL. So far, only two players of Indian origin have participated in the BBL – Unmukt Chand and Nikhil Chaudhary.
It is to be noted that Indian cricketers are not allowed to play in any T20 leagues around the world or in The Hundred tournament unless they have retired from international cricket. However, the rule does not apply to Indian women cricketers.
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In a bid to boost viewership, WBBL is looking to sign more Indian players
The organisers of the Big Bash League and Women’s Big Bash League believe that adding more Indian flavour to their teams will help increase the viewership of the tournament. In the past, it has been frequently observed that matches involving Indian players have a higher viewership compared to the other matches.
Big Bash Leagues CEO Alistair Dobson recently spoke about the increased viewership, especially in India, due to the new media rights deal.
“We have seen a significant increase in our global audiences this year, particularly in India, thanks to our new media rights deal, which has shown significant growth in viewership,” Dobson told News18.
Matches involving Indian players (both men and women) have always enjoyed a higher viewership over the years. Not only the players but also the Indian commentators contribute to attracting a significant viewership and new audiences to the league.
In the last season of the BBL, Harsha Bhogle and Ravi Shastri were included in the commentary team, which was a move to attract Indian audiences.
“It was amazing to have those lads (Harsha Bhogle and Ravi Shastri) commentating on the BBL. They bring so much experience and interest to our game and by all accounts they really loved what they saw. We look forward to seeing some international commentators back here this summer and obviously with a big international summer ahead of us,” Dobson added.
We are lucky that Harmanpreet Kaur has played in the WBBL – Alistair Dobson
Alistair Dobson expressed his delight at Harmanpreet Kaur’s continued presence at Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL. He also spoke about the possibility of the leagues continuing to grow.
“We are very fortunate in the WBBL to have Indian players, be it Harmanpreet Kaur from the (Melbourne) Renegades or others who have been in our competition and had so much skill, ability and leadership.”
“That’s why we’re always working closely with other boards around the world on how we can grow our expertise and make it as accessible as possible, and that won’t stop,” Dobson concluded.
The upcoming WBBL season will kick off on 27 October 2024, when Adelaide Strikers will take on Brisbane Heat in the first match. The tournament will last for over a month, with the final being played on 1 December 2024.
